Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Phoberia Members: 334 NC Records

Phoberia atomaris Hübner, 1818 - Common Oak Moth

Phoberia atomarisPhoberia atomarisPhoberia atomarisPhoberia atomaris
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Erebidae		Subfamily:
Erebinae		Tribe:
Melipotini		P3 Number:
930862		 MONA Number:
8591.00
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)                                                                                 
Wingspan: 35-43 mm (Forbes, 1954)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Phoberia atomarisAlamance 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.
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.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Our records come from a wide range of wet, mesic, and dry stands of hardwood forests.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on oaks (Wagner et al., 2011). Reported hosts include White Oak (Quercus alba), Post Oak (Q. stellata), and Black Oak (Q. velutina) (Marquis et al., 2019). In North Carolina, larvae have been observed feeding on White Oak and Chestnut Oak (Q. montana). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Oak-Hickory Forests
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 Phoberia atomaris - Common Oak Moth

 206 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2026-03-07
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2026-03-06
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2026-03-05
Henderson Co.
Comment: 		Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2026-03-05
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2026-03-04
Henderson Co.
Comment: 		Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2026-03-04
Madison Co.
Comment:
Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2026-03-02
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Nora Murdock on 2026-03-01
Henderson Co.
Comment:
Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2026-03-01
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Will Bennett on 2026-02-26
Durham Co.
Comment:
Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2026-02-22
Rowan Co.
Comment: 		Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2026-02-21
Rowan Co.
Comment:
Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2026-02-20
Rowan Co.
Comment: 		Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-05-01
Madison Co.
Comment:
Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George on 2025-04-05
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-05
Rowan Co.
Comment:
Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2025-04-04
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2025-03-28
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-03-27
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-03-25
Madison Co.
Comment:
Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2025-03-19
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2025-03-19
Orange Co.
Comment:
Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-03-18
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2025-03-13
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: David George on 2025-03-12
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2025-03-12
Orange Co.
Comment:
Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2025-03-12
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-03-11
Madison Co.
Comment:
Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2025-03-11
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Phoberia atomaris
Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2025-03-11
Orange Co.
Comment: