Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Ponometia Members: 109 NC Records

Ponometia candefacta (Hübner, [1831]) - Olive-shaded Bird-dropping Moth

Ponometia candefactaPonometia candefactaPonometia candefactaPonometia candefacta
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Acontiinae		Tribe:
Acontiini		P3 Number:
931314		 MONA Number:
9090.00
Comments: One of 34 species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2010), six of which have been recorded in North Carolina
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984; as Tarachidia candefacta); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
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.
Ponometia candefactaAlamance 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.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Our records come primarily from open herbaceous habitats, including maritime dune grasslands; Longleaf Pine savannas, flatwoods, and sand ridges; lake shorelines; and wet meadows.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on ragweeds, including Annual Ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya) and Giant Ragweed (A. trifida) (Wagner et al., 2011). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Successional Fields and Forblands
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:

 Photo Gallery for Ponometia candefacta - Olive-shaded Bird-dropping Moth

Photos: 22
Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: David George, Patrick Coin on 2025-06-29
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: David George, Patrick Coin on 2025-06-29
Moore Co.
Comment:
Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-02
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-02
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-30
Bladen Co.
Comment: 		Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-30
Bladen Co.
Comment:
Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-05-21
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: John Petranka, Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
Comment:
Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: Andrew W. Jones on 2024-04-29
Polk Co.
Comment: 		Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: Andrew W. Jones on 2023-07-25
Polk Co.
Comment:
Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and John Petranka on 2023-06-14
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2022-08-28
Scotland Co.
Comment:
Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Bo Sullivan, and Steve Hall on 2022-07-25
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-07-23
Wake Co.
Comment:
Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: Richard Teper on 2022-05-31
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Bo Sullivan on 2021-08-09
Moore Co.
Comment:
Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2020-08-09
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: 		Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: L. M. Carlson on 2019-08-12
Orange Co.
Comment:
Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2019-06-01
Graham Co.
Comment: 		Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: F. Williams, S. Williams on 2017-06-30
Gates Co.
Comment:
Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2013-05-10
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Ponometia candefacta
Recorded by: ASH, NEW on 2011-08-26
Moore Co.
Comment: