Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Caenurgina Members: 110 NC Records

Caenurgina erechtea (Cramer, [1780]) - Forage Looper Moth

Caenurgina erechteaCaenurgina erechteaCaenurgina erechteaCaenurgina erechtea
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Erebidae		Subfamily:
Erebinae		Tribe:
Euclidiini		P3 Number:
930924		 MONA Number:
8739.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2011)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This species is sexually dimorphic. The forewings of males are mouse-gray and crossed by two blackish, contrasting bands that are widely separated and usually edged with narrow lines, especially on the lower sides; the antemedian in particular is usually pale and well-marked (Forbes, 1954). The subterminal is composed of a series of dark dots, with strong two dark marks below the apex. The orbicular is a dot and the reniform is typically obscure. Females are duller and browner and have only faint bands, if any. Both sexes of Caenurgina crassiuscula are similar to the males of erechtea but are much browner (Forbes, 1954). The two bars are more diffuse in crassicula and usually only partly outlined; the upper bar, when complete, forms a wide loop that either joins or nearly touches the lower bar near the inner margin (Forbes, 1954). Males of these two species may need to be dissected in order to definitely identify them.
Wingspan: 30 mm in the spring brood; 40 mm in the summer brood (Forbes, 1954)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
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.
Caenurgina erechteaAlamance 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 open, herbaceous habitats as well as forested and woodlands, probably mainly along edges or openings.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae reportedly feed on grasses, legumes, and ragweed (Ambrosia spp.) (Robinson et al., 2010; Wagner et al., 2011). We do not have any feeding records in North Carolina. - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Successional and Semi-Natural Grasslands
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S5]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Caenurgina erechtea - Forage Looper Moth

 45 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-18
Stanly Co.
Comment: 		Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: R. Teper, David George, P. Coin, K. Bischof on 2025-09-16
Transylvania Co.
Comment:
Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-14
Ashe Co.
Comment: 		Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-14
Ashe Co.
Comment:
Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-10
Ashe Co.
Comment: 		Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-07-29
Madison Co.
Comment:
Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2025-07-27
Haywood Co.
Comment: 		Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-23
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2025-03-12
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-20
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-19
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Claudia Nielson on 2024-09-15
Forsyth Co.
Comment:
Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-09
Mitchell Co.
Comment: 		Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-08
Mitchell Co.
Comment:
Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2024-05-21
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Avery Young on 2023-09-25
Haywood Co.
Comment:
Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Avery Young on 2023-09-25
Haywood Co.
Comment: 		Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Andrew W. Jones on 2023-09-07
Polk Co.
Comment:
Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2023-08-17
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-25
Orange Co.
Comment:
Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-25
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2023-02-16
Orange Co.
Comment:
Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-02-10
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-02-10
Wake Co.
Comment:
Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-05-20
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Stephen Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2021-09-13
Ashe Co.
Comment:
Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2021-09-11
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-05-28
Wake Co.
Comment:
Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Barbara McRae on 2020-10-07
Macon Co.
Comment: 		Caenurgina erechtea
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-08-28
Madison Co.
Comment: