Moths of North Carolina
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Significant Contributors
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
ACROLEPIIDAE-
ADELIDAE-
AMPHISBATIDAE-
AUTOSTICHIDAE-
BATRACHEDRIDAE-
BEDELLIIDAE-
BLASTOBASIDAE-
BOMBYCIDAE-
BUCCULATRICIDAE-
CARPOSINIDAE-
CHOREUTIDAE-
COLEOPHORIDAE-
COSMOPTERIGIDAE-
COSSIDAE-
CRAMBIDAE-
DEPRESSARIIDAE-
DREPANIDAE-
ELACHISTIDAE-
EPERMENIIDAE-
EPIPYROPIDAE-
EREBIDAE-Erebid Moths
ERIOCRANIIDAE-
EUTELIIDAE-
GALACTICIDAE-
GELECHIIDAE-
GEOMETRIDAE-
GLYPHIDOCERIDAE-
GLYPHIPTERIGIDAE-
GRACILLARIIDAE-
HELIOZELIDAE-
HEPIALIDAE-
HYBLAEIDAE-
INCURVARIIDAE-
LASIOCAMPIDAE-
LECITHOCERIDAE-Long-horned Moths
LIMACODIDAE-
LYONETIIDAE-
MEGALOPYGIDAE-Flannel Moths
MICROPTERIGIDAE-
MIMALLONIDAE-
MOMPHIDAE-Mompha Moths
NEPTICULIDAE-
NOCTUIDAE-Owlet Moths
NOLIDAE-
NOTODONTIDAE-
OECOPHORIDAE-
OPOSTEGIDAE-
PELEOPODIDAE-
PLUTELLIDAE-
PRODOXIDAE-
PSYCHIDAE-Bagworm Moths
PTEROPHORIDAE-
PYRALIDAE-
SATURNIIDAE-Saturniids
SCHRECKENSTEINIIDAE-
SESIIDAE-
SPHINGIDAE-Sphinx Moths
THYATIRIDAE-
THYRIDIDAE-
TINEIDAE-
TISCHERIIDAE-
TORTRICIDAE-
URANIIDAE-
URODIDAE-
XYLORYCTIDAE-
YPONOMEUTIDAE-
YPSOLOPHIDAE-
ZYGAENIDAE-
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Erebidae Members:
Abablemma brimleyana
Allotria elonympha
Amolita fessa
Amolita obliqua
Amolita roseola
Amolita unidentified species
Anomis editrix
Anomis erosa
Anomis flava
Anomis illita
Anticarsia gemmatalis
Apantesis anna
Apantesis arge
Apantesis carlotta
Apantesis doris
Apantesis figurata
Apantesis nais
Apantesis parthenice
Apantesis phalerata
Apantesis phyllira
Apantesis placentia
Apantesis unidentified species
Apantesis virgo
Apantesis virguncula
Apantesis vittata
Arctia caja
Arctia parthenos
Argyrostrotis anilis
Argyrostrotis deleta
Argyrostrotis erasa
Argyrostrotis flavistriaria
Argyrostrotis quadrifilaris
Argyrostrotis sylvarum
Arugisa latiorella
Arugisa lutea
Arugisa unidentified species
Ascalapha odorata
Bleptina caradrinalis
Bleptina inferior
Bleptina sangamonia
Caenurgia chloropha
Caenurgia unidentified species
Caenurgina crassiuscula
Caenurgina erechtea
Caenurgina unidentified species
Calyptra canadensis
Catocala abbreviatella
Catocala aestivalia
Catocala agrippina
Catocala alabamae
Catocala amatrix
Catocala amestris
Catocala amica
Catocala amica complex
Catocala andromedae
Catocala angusi
Catocala blandula
Catocala cara
Catocala carissima
Catocala cerogama
Catocala clintonii
Catocala coccinata
Catocala concumbens
Catocala connubialis
Catocala consors
Catocala crataegi
Catocala dejecta
Catocala dulciola
Catocala epione
Catocala flebilis
Catocala gracilis
Catocala grisatra
Catocala grynea
Catocala habilis
Catocala herodias
Catocala ilia
Catocala ilia-umbrosa
Catocala illecta
Catocala innubens
Catocala insolabilis
Catocala jair
Catocala judith
Catocala lacrymosa
Catocala lincolnana
Catocala lineella
Catocala louiseae
Catocala luctuosa
Catocala maestosa
Catocala marmorata
Catocala messalina
Catocala micronympha
Catocala minuta
Catocala mira
Catocala miranda
Catocala muliercula
Catocala myristica
Catocala nebulosa
Catocala neogama
Catocala obscura
Catocala orba
Catocala palaeogama
Catocala piatrix
Catocala praeclara
Catocala pretiosa
Catocala residua
Catocala retecta
Catocala robinsonii
Catocala sappho
Catocala serena
Catocala similis
Catocala sordida
Catocala subnata
Catocala ulalume
Catocala ultronia
Catocala umbrosa
Catocala unidentified species
Catocala unijuga
Catocala vidua
Celiptera frustulum
Chytolita morbidalis
Chytolita sp. 1
Chytolita sp. 2
Chytolita unidentified species
Cisseps fulvicollis
Cissusa spadix
Cisthene kentuckiensis
Cisthene packardii
Cisthene plumbea
Cisthene subjecta
Cisthene tenuifascia
Clemensia albata
Clemensia ochreata
Clemensia umbrata
Clemensia unidentified species
Colobochyla interpuncta
Cosmosoma myrodora
Crambidia casta
Crambidia lithosioides
Crambidia new species (minute)
Crambidia pallida
Crambidia pura
Crambidia unidentified species
Crambidia uniformis
Crambidia xanthocorpa
Cutina albopunctella
Cutina aluticolor
Cutina arcuata
Cutina distincta
Cycnia collaris
Cycnia oregonensis
Cycnia tenera
Cycnia unidentified species
Dasychira atrivenosa
Dasychira basiflava
Dasychira dorsipennata
Dasychira leucophaea
Dasychira manto
Dasychira meridionalis
Dasychira obliquata
Dasychira plagiata
Dasychira tephra
Dasychira unidentified species
Dasychira vagans
Dinumma deponens
Doryodes bistrialis
Doryodes fusselli
Doryodes spadaria
Doryodes unidentified species
Drasteria grandirena
Drasteria graphica
Dyspyralis illocata
Dyspyralis nigellus
Dyspyralis ocala
Dyspyralis puncticosta
Ephyrodes cacata
Estigmene acrea
Eublemma minima
Eublemma recta
Euchaetes egle
Euclidia cuspidea
Euparthenos nubilis
Gabara distema
Gabara obscura
Gabara pulverosalis
Gabara subnivosella
Gabara unidentified species
Gondysia consobrina
Gondysia similis
Gondysia smithii
Gondysia telma
Gondysia unidentified species
Halysidota cinctipes
Halysidota harrisii
Halysidota tessellaris
Halysidota unidentified species
Haploa clymene
Haploa colona
Haploa confusa
Haploa contigua
Haploa lecontei
Haploa reversa
Haploa unidentified species
Hemeroplanis habitalis
Hemeroplanis new species 1 nr. obliqualis
Hemeroplanis scopulepes
Herminiinae unidentified species
Hormoschista latipalpis
Hypena abalienalis
Hypena appalachiensis
Hypena baltimoralis
Hypena bijugalis
Hypena deceptalis
Hypena degesalis
Hypena edictalis
Hypena eductalis
Hypena humuli
Hypena madefactalis
Hypena manalis
Hypena minualis
Hypena palparia
Hypena ramstadtii
Hypena scabra
Hypena sordidula
Hypena unidentified species
Hypenodes caducus
Hypenodes fractilinea
Hypenodes franclemonti
Hypenopsis calusa
Hypenula cacuminalis
Hypercompe scribonia
Hyperstrotia aetheria
Hyperstrotia flaviguttata
Hyperstrotia nana
Hyperstrotia pervertens
Hyperstrotia secta
Hyperstrotia unidentified species
Hyperstrotia villificans
Hyphantria cunea
Hypocala andremona
Hypoprepia fucosa
Hypoprepia miniata
Hypsoropha hormos
Hypsoropha monilis
Idia aemula
Idia americalis
Idia concisa of authors
Idia denticulalis
Idia diminuendis
Idia forbesii
Idia julia
Idia laurentii
Idia lubricalis
Idia majoralis
Idia rotundalis
Idia scobialis
Idia unidentified species
Isogona tenuis
Lascoria ambigualis
Ledaea perditalis
Lesmone detrahens
Leucanopsis longa
Litoprosopus futilis
Lophocampa caryae
Lophocampa maculata
Lycomorpha pholus
Lymantria dispar
Macrochilo absorptalis
Macrochilo hypocritalis
Macrochilo litophora
Macrochilo louisiana
Macrochilo orciferalis
Macrochilo santerivalis
Manulea bicolor
Melanomma auricinctaria
Melipotis fasciolaris
Melipotis indomita
Melipotis jucunda
Metalectra albilinea
Metalectra diabolica
Metalectra discalis
Metalectra quadrisignata
Metalectra richardsi
Metalectra tantillus
Metallata absumens
Metria amella
Mocis latipes
Mocis marcida
Mocis texana
Mocis unidentified species
Neoplynes eudora
Nigetia formosalis
Orgyia antiqua
Orgyia definita
Orgyia detrita
Orgyia leucostigma
Orgyia unidentified species
Oruza albocostaliata
Oxycilla malaca
Oxycilla mitographa
Pagara simplex
Palthis angulalis
Palthis asopialis
Palthis unidentified species
Pangrapta decoralis
Pangrapta unidentified species
Panopoda carneicosta
Panopoda repanda
Panopoda rufimargo
Panopoda unidentified species
Parahypenodes quadralis
Parallelia bistriaris
Phalaenophana pyramusalis
Phalaenostola eumelusalis
Phalaenostola larentioides
Phalaenostola metonalis
Phoberia atomaris
Phoberia ingenua
Phoberia unidentified species
Phyprosopus callitrichoides
Phytometra rhodarialis
Phytometra unidentified species
Plusiodonta compressipalpis
Pseudanthracia coracias
Ptichodis bistrigata
Ptichodis herbarum
Ptichodis vinculum
Pygarctia abdominalis
Pyrrharctia isabella
Redectis pygmaea
Redectis vitrea
Renia adspergillus
Renia discoloralis
Renia factiosalis
Renia flavipunctalis
Renia fraternalis
Renia nemoralis
Renia new species near discoloralis
Renia salusalis
Renia salusalis-fraternalis
Renia sobrialis
Renia unidentified species
Rivula propinqualis
Rivula stepheni
Rusicada privata
Scolecocampa liburna
Scoliopteryx libatrix
Selenisa sueroides
Sigela basipunctaria
Sigela brauneata
Sigela penumbrata
Sigela rosea
Simplicia cornicalis
Spargaloma sexpunctata
Spiloloma lunilinea
Spilosoma congrua
Spilosoma dubia
Spilosoma latipennis
Spilosoma unidentified species
Spilosoma virginica
Tetanolita floridana
Tetanolita mynesalis
Thysania zenobia
Utetheisa ornatrix
Virbia aurantiaca
Virbia ferruginosa
Virbia laeta
Virbia opella
Virbia rubicundaria
Virbia unidentified species
Zale aeruginosa
Zale bethunei
Zale buchholzi
Zale calycanthata
Zale confusa
Zale curema
Zale declarans
Zale duplicata
Zale fictilis
Zale galbanata
Zale helata
Zale horrida
Zale intenta
Zale intenta/lunifera
Zale lunata
Zale lunifera
Zale metata
Zale metatoides
Zale minerea
Zale new species near buchholzi
Zale obliqua
Zale phaeocapna
Zale pine-feeding complex
Zale squamularis
Zale submediana
Zale undularis
Zale unidentified species
Zale unilineata
Zanclognatha atrilineella
Zanclognatha cruralis
Zanclognatha dentata
Zanclognatha jacchusalis
Zanclognatha laevigata
Zanclognatha lituralis
Zanclognatha marcidilinea
Zanclognatha martha
Zanclognatha minoralis
Zanclognatha obscuripennis
Zanclognatha pedipilalis
Zanclognatha protumnusalis
Zanclognatha theralis
Zanclognatha theralis complex
Zanclognatha unidentified species
Amolita
Members:
Amolita fessa
Amolita obliqua
Amolita roseola
Amolita unidentified species
73 NC Records
Amolita roseola
Smith, 1903 - Pink Sedge Moth
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea
Family:
Erebidae
Subfamily:
Erebinae
Tribe:
Ophiusini
P3 Number:
931063.00
MONA Number:
9821.00
Comments:
The genus
Amolita
is currently placed in the Erebidae in the tribe Ophiusini together with such dissimilar genera as
Zale
,
Ophisma
and
Metria
. Previously it was thought to be near
Metalectra
and it likely will be moved again. The genus consists of 12 described species from the New World, five are known from the U.S. and three are found in North Carolina. However, the uncertainty surrounding the generic placement descends to the species level as well, since many of our species appear to be complexes of multiple species. The genitalia of our population of roseola are also quite different from our other two species of
Amolita
, enough so to make one wonder whether this roseola has been correctly placed. However, it occurs in the same habitats and the pattern of maculation, other than being pink, is very like the other species.
Species Status:
It appears that
Amolita roseola
consists of at least two cryptic species based on the the distribution of bar codes from specimens taken throughout its range, with specimens from North Carolina nesting within one of them.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions:
Online Photographs:
MPG
,
BugGuide
,
GBIF
,
BOLD
Technical Description, Adults:
Smith (1903); Forbes (1954)
Technical Description, Immature Stages:
Wagner et al. (2011)
Adult Markings:
A medium-small, pale pinkish Sedge Moth. The ground color is yellowish-white, with a strong dusting of pink except along the veins. A somewhat darker band runs from the base to the cell and then upwards towards the apex, with another runs down from the apex through the subterminal area (Smith, 1903).
Amolita fessa
has a similar pattern but lacks the pink dusting. Sexes are similar in pattern but the female is larger and has fasciculate rather than bipectinate antennae.
Wingspan:
17-2 mm (Smith, 1903)
Adult Structural Features:
Males have prismatic antennae in contrast to the other species where the antennae are pectinate (Smith, 1903; Forbes, 1954). The uncus is spatulate in
Amolita
roseola but emarginate in
A. fessa
and diamond-shaped in
A. obliqua
(Forbes, 1954)
Structural photos
Male reproductive structures
Aedeagus
Female reproductive structures
Adult ID Requirements:
Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development:
A larva illustrated by Wagner et al. (2011) is fairly slender and two toned: lavender above and pale yellowish below the a narrow whitish subspiracular stripe.
Larvae ID Requirements:
Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
All of our records come from the southern part of the Outer Coastal Plain.
County Map:
Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Flight Dates:
High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
Piedmont (Pd)
Coastal Plain (CP)
Click on graph to enlarge
Flight Comments:
There appear to be two broods in the outer Coastal Plain centered in May and late August. A few specimens have been taken throughout the summer so a small third brood may also occur.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Virtually all of our records come from wet pine savannas, including several very wet clay savannas where marl occurs close to the surface. None come from sandhill habitats, including sandhill seeps where several species of
Carex
occur. We have one record from a wet ecotone between a pocosin and somewhat mesic flatwoods.
Larval Host Plants:
In the Northeast, Wagner et al. (2011) identify the host plant as Pennsylvania Sedge (
Carex pensylvanica
). However, that species occurs in dry woodland habitats primarily in the mountains and straggling into the Piedmont of North Carolina, not the Outer Coastal Plain where all of our records for
Amolita roseola
come from. In the wet savanna habitats that
A. roseola
occupies, only a few species of
Carex
occur, of which
C. striata
is the most common and
C. glaucescens
is also present. In the very wet clay savannas where at least a couple of our
A. roseola
populations occur, the rare
C. lutea
is another possibility. We have no observations of larvae in North Carolina, however, and other species of wetland graminoids cannot be ruled out. -
View
Observation Methods:
All of our records come from blacklight traps, which appear to be quite effective in sampling this species. Adults can also be flushed from wet savannas and other sedge-filled sites during the day.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for
Wet, Sandy, Fire-maintained Herblands
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
[W3]
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
G5 [S2S3]
State Protection:
Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:
Based on the strong restriction of records to wet pine savannas, this species is a good candidate for listing as Significantly Rare in North Carolina. However, the fact that it uses other types of habitats, as well as different host plants, in other parts of its range suggest that more surveys need to be conducted in a wider array of sedge-rich habitats before any final conclusions about its status can be reached. DNA analysis also needs to be conducted on more populations to determine if the separate species that appear to exist within this complex differ in range, habitats, host plants, and -- consequently, conservation status.