Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Metaxaglaea Members: 44 NC Records

Metaxaglaea australis Schweitzer, 1979 - Southern Sallow

Metaxaglaea australis
view caption 		Metaxaglaea australisMetaxaglaea australis
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Noctuinae		Tribe:
Xylenini		P3 Number:
932600		 MONA Number:
9945.10
Comments: One of five species in this genus that occur in North America, all of which have been recorded in North Carolina.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Not in either field guideOnline Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Schweitzer (1979)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Schweitzer (1979); Wagner et al. (2011)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A medium-sized, brown Noctuid. Similar in pattern to several other species of Metaxaglaea, particularly viatica, with the ground color of the thorax and wings being usually a plain or leather brown. Externally, this species is distinguished by its smaller size: forewing length is usually less than 22mm (0.9") in both sexes whereas it is usually over 22mm in other species of Metaxaglaea and often over 25mm (Schweitzer, 1979). The forewings also tend to be somewhat broader than in the other species and the terminal line on the hindwing is usually more strongly dentate (Schweitzer, 1979).
Adult Structural Features: Male genitalia are very similar to semitaria but differ from viatica and violacea in possessing a short rather than long spine at the terminus of the valve (see illustration and description in Schweitzer, 1979).
Genitalia and other structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are dull grayish-brown, similar to those of other Metaxaglaea, especially semitaria; see a key to the last instar larvae given by Schweitzer (1979) for details concerning their differences.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from close inspection of specimens or by DNA analysis.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: All of our records come from the outer coastal plain, either from barrier islands or from mainland sites located within just a couple of miles from the coast.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Metaxaglaea australisAlamance 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 Hanover 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.