Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Zanclognatha Members: 243 NC Records

Zanclognatha theralis (Walker, 1859) - Flagged Zanclognatha

Zanclognatha theralisZanclognatha theralisZanclognatha theralis
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Erebidae		Subfamily:
Herminiinae		P3 Number:
930490		 MONA Number:
8341.00
Comments: One of thirteen species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2010; 2013; Wagner and McCabe, 2011), all of which have been recorded in North Carolina
Species Status: Theralis belongs to a complex that also includes minoralis, gypsalis, and inconspicualis. Members of this group have been treated both as separate species and as forms of a single, highly variable species. Wagner and McCabe (2011) suspect that this group represents a recently radiated complex that is only weakly differentiated.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Structural photos
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.
Zanclognatha theralisAlamance 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.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Our records come primarily from forested sites, but including both pine and hardwood dominated stands. Few, if any, come from open habitats, including savannas, maritime grasslands, and old fields.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae have been reared from Old Man's Beard (Usnea) (Sigal, cited by Wagner et al., 2011), but other members of this genus typically feed on dead leaves. - View
Observation Methods: Comes to blacklights.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G4 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 Zanclognatha theralis - Flagged Zanclognatha

 119 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-18
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-07-26
Madison Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-02
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-31
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-08-23
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Kenneth Geisert, David Bradley, Julie Tuttle, Patrick Coin, Kaitlyn Elliott, Becky Watkins on 2024-08-17
Durham Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Mark Basinger on 2024-08-06
Mitchell Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-14
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-12
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-07-11
Madison Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-27
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2024-06-25
Transylvania Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Owen McConnell and Simpson Eason on 2024-06-21
Graham Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Owen McConnell and Simpson Eason on 2024-06-19
Graham Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-17
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: David George on 2024-06-13
Durham Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-10
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-01
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-29
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-05-27
Madison Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-26
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-26
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-25
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-05-11
Madison Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-09
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-09
Orange Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Stephen Hall, David George, and David Bradley on 2024-05-07
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-05-07
Madison Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-04-27
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha theralisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-17
Brunswick Co.
Comment: