Noctuidae

Eucoptocnemis dapsilis No common name

20 n=0 High Mt. N 10 u m b e 0 r 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 NC counties: 5 • Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec • o 20 • f n=0 • = Sighting or Collection Low Mt. High counts of: • in NC since 2001 F • = Not seen since 2001 l 10 26 - New Hanover - 1995-10-18 • i 12 - New Hanover - 1995-10-12 g Status Rank h 12 - New Hanover - 1994-10-19 0 NC US NC Global t 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 D Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec a 20 20 t n=0 n=19 e Pd CP s 10 10

0 0 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Three periods to each month: 1-10 / 11-20 / 21-31 FAMILY: SUBFAMILY: TRIBE: TAXONOMIC_COMMENTS: One of six species in this genus that occur in North America (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2010), two of which have been recorded in North Carolina. Dapsilis is found mainly in Florida but occurs up the Atlantic Coast to southeastern North Carolina.

FIELD GUIDE DESCRIPTIONS: ONLINE PHOTOS: TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION, ADULTS: Lafontaine (2004) TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION, IMMATURE STAGES:

ID COMMENTS: A medium-sized, stocky Noctuid, with pale gray forewings dusted with blackish-gray. The antemedian, postmedian and terminal lines are blackish-gray and somewhat broken or consisting of separate spots. The orbicular and reniform are also dark. Hindwings are fuscous in the males and whitish in the females. Similar in coloration to Agrotis vetusta, which flies at the same time of year and in the same habitats, but has broader wings and darker lines and spots; the hindwing in vetusta is also pure white. Eucoptonemis fimbriaris has a similar gray phase (also a reddish one) but is usually darker gray and has a contrastingly pale reniform spot.

DISTRIBUTION: Restricted to the southern half of the Coastal Plain, including the Fall-line Sandhills

FLIGHT COMMENT: Univoltine, flying in October and early November

HABITAT: All of our records come from dry pine-oak habitats, including Maritime Forests, Coastal Fringe Sandhills, and Pine- Scrub Oak Sandhills.

FOOD: Apparently unknown (Lafontaine, 2004)

OBSERVATION_METHODS: Comes well to blacklights

NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM RANKS: G4 S2S3

STATE PROTECTION: Listed as Significantly Rare by the Natural Heritage Program. That designation does not confer any legal protection, however, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

COMMENTS: We have relatively few records for this species and from only a handful of sites. It appears to be resident within the state, however, and may be locally common. It appears to be strongly associated with sandhills habitats, but has been found at only a few sites with those habitats in the state. As a narrowly distributed, strong habitat specialist, this species appears to be of significant conservation concern in North Carolina. Much of its habitat has been lost due to conversion to agriculture, silviculture, and development. Both fire suppression and too complete prescribed burns may also be threats, particularly if it turns out to be feeding on herbs or shrubs rather than trees.

March 2021 The of North Carolina - Early Draft 1