Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Metallata Members: 69 NC Records

Metallata absumens (Walker, 1862) - Variable Metallata

Metallata absumensMetallata absumensMetallata absumensMetallata absumens
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Erebidae		Subfamily:
Eulepidotinae		Tribe:
Panopodini		P3 Number:
931075		 MONA Number:
8573.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Similar in pattern and color to Anticarsia gemmatalis but is smaller and the postmedian is angled further in on the wing, with the point below vein M1 (Forbes, 1954). In our specimens, this point is less acute than in gemmatilis, forming a great than 45 degree angle, versus less than 45 in gemmatalis. The orbicular is usually minute but the reniform is large and is either black, white, or concolorous with the ground color. A dark line connects the reniform to the costa (Leckie and Beadle, 2018), whereas the median line, if present in gemmatalis runs in front of the reniform. Where visible, the hindwing has a small dark discal spot located above the postmedian that is missing in gemmatalis (Leckie and Beadle, 2018). The spots on the underside of the wing are dark rather than light, as they are in gemmatalis (Forbes, 1954).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Metallata absumensAlamance 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: In North Carolina, this species is most abundant on barrier islands and the Outer Coastal Plain. Records from the Piedmont may represent populations associated with planted waxmyrtles. Records from the Mountains, including Mt. Mitchell, more likely represent migrants.
Larval Host Plants: One larva collected on bayberry (Morella sp.) was reared to adulthood (J.B. Sullivan, pers. obs.). That observation, together with the fact that most of our records come from barrier islands and other sites where Waxmyrtle (Morella cerifera) is common, suggest that members of the Myrtaceae are the likely host plants. - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Myricaceous Thickets
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SNR [S3S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Metallata absumens - Variable Metallata

 32 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Laurie Hamon on 2025-09-19
Onslow Co.
Comment: iNat record		Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-12
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-03
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2025-08-28
Wake Co.
Comment:
Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-10
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-05
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-05
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-05-18
Durham Co.
Comment:
Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2023-07-30
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2023-07-16
Durham Co.
Comment:
Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-17
New Hanover Co.
Comment: 		Metallata absumens
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2023-05-21
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Metallata absumens
Recorded by: John Petranka, Chuck Smith on 2023-05-12
Bladen Co.
Comment: 		Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-10-29
Pender Co.
Comment:
Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-06-17
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Bo Sullivan and Steve Hall on 2021-06-07
Moore Co.
Comment:
Metallata absumens
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2020-11-21
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-11-06
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2020-10-16
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2020-10-02
Wake Co.
Comment:
Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-07-11
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Metallata absumens
Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2019-07-06
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-06-21
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Metallata absumens
Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2019-05-09
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-05-02
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2014-05-14
Cabarrus Co.
Comment:
Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2013-05-26
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: 		Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Steve Hall on 2012-06-28
Martin Co.
Comment:
Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Newman, Randy on 2006-06-15
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Metallata absumens
Recorded by: Newman,Randy on 2006-05-05
Carteret Co.
Comment: