Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
« Home »
View PDFNoctuidae Members: Lithophane Members: 9 NC Records

Lithophane petulca Grote, 1874 - Wanton Pinion

Lithophane petulca
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Noctuinae		Tribe:
Xylenini		P3 Number:
932536		 MONA Number:
9889.00
Comments: One of 51 species in this genus that occur in North America (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2010, 2015), 25 of which have been recorded in North Carolina
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: In the typical form, this species is fairly uniformly colored, with the ground color an even violet gray-brown with strong rufous and bright luteous shadings (Forbes, 1954). Both the reniform and orbicular are outlined by pale rings. The hindwings have a fringe that is shaded with rufous. In form ferrealis, the ground color is blackish and the costa is a contrasting whitish or luteous gray. Lithophane hemina is similar but has a deep brown ground color and more diffuse lines and reniform spot.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are similar to those of L. hemina, patefacta, and other members of this species group; consequently, they are best identified by rearing them to adulthood (Wagner et al., 2011)
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Lithophane petulcaAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New%20Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Our records come from mesic forests in the mountains.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on a number of hardwood trees and shrubs, including a number of species associated with riparian habitats, including alder (Alnus), birch (Betula), elm (Ulmus), poplar (Populus), and willow (Salix); other hosts include oak (Quercus), hickory (Carya), cherry (Prunus), and blueberry (Vaccinium) (Wagner et al., 2011). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Wet-Mesic Hardwood Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S2S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Lithophane petulca - Wanton Pinion

Photos: 4
Lithophane petulcaRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2023-10-21
Graham Co.
Comment: 		Lithophane petulcaRecorded by: B bockhahn on 2023-03-04
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Lithophane petulcaRecorded by: B bockhahn on 2023-03-04
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Lithophane petulcaRecorded by: Doug Blatny / Jackie Nelson on 2012-10-23
Ashe Co.
Comment: