Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGeometridae Members: Nematocampa Members: 205 NC Records

Nematocampa resistaria (Herrich-Schäffer, [1856]) - Horned Spanworm Moth

Nematocampa resistariaNematocampa resistariaNematocampa resistariaNematocampa resistaria
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Geometroidea		 Family:
Geometridae		Subfamily:
Ennominae		Tribe:
Cassymini		P3 Number:
91a1461		 MONA Number:
7010.00		 Other Common Name:
Filament Bearer
Comments: One of three species in this genus that occur north of Mexico (Ferguson, 2008), two of which are found in North Carolina.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984; as Nematocampa limbata); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948); Ferguson (2008)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2001); Wagner (2005); Ferguson (2008)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A moderately small geometrid with a pale yellowish (males) or cream (females) ground color, overlain with a reticulated pattern of fine brown lines. The subterminal and terminal areas are typically dark brown, but with the apical area similar in color and pattern to the medial and basal areas. Transverse lines are dark brown and conspicuous.
Forewing Length: Wing length is generally more than 10 mm (Ferguson, 2008)
Adult Structural Features: Males with enlarged hind tibiae, whose inner spurs are elongated, flattened, and clubbed (Forbes, 1954; Ferguson, 2008). Genitalia are distinctive (see illustrations and discussion in Ferguson, 2008).
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae (Filament Bearers) possess distinctive pairs of white-tipped, extensible filaments that project from the dorsal surface of segments A2 and A3 (Wagner et al., 2001; Wagner, 2005; Ferguson, 2008), The body is mottled with patches of white, pale gray, brown, and black.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Appears to occur statewide, from the Barrier Islands to the High Mountains
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Nematocampa resistariaAlamance 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.
Immature 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: immatures.
Flight Comments: Univoltine, with adults flying in the spring and summer
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: The majority of our records come from wet areas dominated by hardwoods, including swamps and riparian habitats but not peatlands. A few records come from drier or more open habitats, such as maritime dunes, sandhills, and ridges.
Larval Host Plants: Polyphagous, feeding on more than 60 species of both hardwood trees and shrubs, conifers, and forbs (Ferguson, 2008). Wagner et al. (2011) specifically list fir (Abies), maple (Acer), buckeye (Aesculus), alder (Alnus), birch (Betula), hornbeam (Carpinus), chestnut (Castanea), New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus), hazel (Corylus), hawthorn (Crataegus), dogwood (Cornus), strawberry (Fragaria), ash (Fraxinus), larch (Larix), spruce (Picea), cherry (Prunus), oak (Quercus), willow (Salix), mountain-ash (Sorbus), basswood (Tilia), hemlock (Tsuga), elm (Ulmus), and blueberry (Vaccinium). In North Carolina, J.B. Sullivan reared a larva from Sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum). - View
Observation Methods: Comes well to blacklights but we have no records from bait.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Forests and Fields
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S4S5]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: Occupies a wide range of forested habitats across the state and is broadly polyphagous; appears to be quite secure in North Carolina

 Photo Gallery for Nematocampa resistaria - Horned Spanworm Moth

 77 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-25
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Larry Chen, Sarah Toner, Joye Zhou on 2025-06-20
Richmond Co.
Comment:
Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2025-05-24
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-16
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-16
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-15
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-05-12
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-01
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-24
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-23
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-15
Scotland Co.
Comment: 		Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-14
Scotland Co.
Comment:
Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Hunter Phillips on 2024-06-08
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2024-06-01
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-16
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-09
Orange Co.
Comment:
Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Stephen Hall, David George, and David Bradley on 2024-05-07
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Stephen Hall, David George, and David Bradley on 2024-05-07
Durham Co.
Comment:
Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-04-30
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp on 2024-04-18
Greene Co.
Comment:
Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp on 2024-04-18
Greene Co.
Comment: 		Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-16
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-16
New Hanover Co.
Comment: 		Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-12
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-07
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: David George on 2023-07-02
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-06-28
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2023-06-10
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: John Petranka on 2023-06-09
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Nematocampa resistariaRecorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-05-23
Orange Co.
Comment: