Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Crambidae Members:	Eudonia Members:	152 NC Records

Eudonia heterosalis (McDunnough, 1961) - McDunnough's Eudonia

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Pyraloidea

Family:
Crambidae

Subfamily:
Scopariinae

Tribe:
[Scopariini]

P3 Number:
80a1392

MONA Number:
4739.00

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984)

Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD

Technical Description, Adults: Munroe (1972)

Adult Markings: In this species the ground color of the forewing varies from medium gray to grayish white and is dusted and mottled with fuscous to blackish scales. The general effect is a somewhat variegated dull gray wing (Munroe, 1972). The antemedial line is weak but evident, and is light gray with fuscous to blackish scales on the distal edge that expand into a small triangular mark at the costa. It follows a distinctive course, running obliquely rearward from the costa, but taking a right angle or even acute bend at the posterior margin of the cell. It then runs perpendicular to or obliquely forward to the inner margin. The postmedial line is fine, weakly denticulate, and runs obliquely rearward from the costa to the obtusely angled median flexure near the middle of the wing, then obliquely forward to the inner margin. The orbicular and claviform are short, black dashes, with the latter rather obscured by the dark suffusion on the inner half of the median area. The reniform is obscurely X-shaped, black, and connected with a diffuse black spot on the costa at about two-thirds. Three dark, diffuse, and more-or-less triangular spots are present on the apical third of the wing. These consists of one along the costa just before the apex, one in the subtornal region along the inner margin, and the third near the middle of the outer margin. The fringe is gray and checkered with fuscous to grayish black, while the hindwing is light gray to grayish-brown with a lighter fringe that has a sub-basal dark line.

Scoparia basalis is often confused with Eudonia heterosalis. In the former, the whitish AM and PM lines tend to be wider and better defined, and the outer margin has a row of 2-5 black dots. In E. heterosalis the outer margin typically has a dark and somewhat triangular-shaped mark near the middle, along with an adjoining dark subapical patch. It lacks a distinct row of black dots as seen in S. basalis, and the two patches are often separated by a pale bar or blotch. The fringe of E. heterosalis also tends to be more heavily checkered than that of S. basalis. Worn specimens of the two species are often difficult to distinguish, and specimens of these and other similar forms may require dissection based on the degree of wear and phenotypic overlap.

Forewing Length: 5.5-7 mm (Munroe, 1972)

Adult Structural Features: The wings are fairly narrow with a rounded apex and somewhat rounded and oblique termen. Munroe (1972) has descriptions of the male and female genitalia.

Structural photos

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.

Immatures and Development: The larval life history is undocumented.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Eudonia heterosalis is found in the eastern US and adjoining areas of southern Canada from Ontario eastward to Nova Scotia. In the US the range extends from Maine southward to central Florida, and westward to eastern Texas, eastern Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin. This species occurs essentially statewide in North Carolina, although as of 2023 we lack records for the northern 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: The adults have been observed during every month of the year in different areas of the range, but most fly from May through October. As of 2023, our records are from late-January through early December, with a much more restricted flight season in the Blue Ridge relative to the Piedmont and Coastal Plain.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Many of our records come from semi-wooded residential areas, while most records from natural habitats are from bottomland and mesic hardwood forests.

Larval Host Plants: The food resources that are used by this species are undocumented (Munroe,1972). The larvae presumably do not feed on the leaves of vascular plants and may possibly feed on mosses as seen in E. strigalis. - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S3S4

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

Comments: Eudonia heterosalis is fairly common in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge, but more information is needed on its food resources and local abundance before we can fully assess its conservation status.

Photo Gallery for Eudonia heterosalis - McDunnough's Eudonia

136 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

	Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2025-09-07 Henderson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2025-09-02 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2025-08-29 Henderson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin, Marilyn Westphal, Nora Murdock on 2025-08-25 Rutherford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Marilyn Westphal and Becky Elkin. on 2025-08-17 Henderson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Kevin Bischof, Rich Teper, Patrick Coin on 2025-08-15 Transylvania Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-13 Ashe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson, Randy Emmitt on 2025-08-12 Alamance Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2025-08-06 Henderson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2025-07-01 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-05-06 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Bonnie Eamick on 2025-04-25 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2025-04-22 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2025-04-17 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-04-05 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2025-03-28 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-10-21 Wayne Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-10-06 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-09-11 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-09-08 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-09-06 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-08-08 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Kevin Bischof on 2024-08-07 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-08-05 Transylvania Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-07-12 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George on 2024-07-04 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-06-19 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-15 Scotland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-06-07 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-06-07 Wake Co. Comment: