Erebidae

Grammia phyllira Phyllira Tiger

10 9 8 n=1 • • 7 High Mt. 6 • N 5 u 4 3 • m 2 b 1 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: 11 • Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec o 10 • • f 9 n=2 • = Sighting or Collection 8 • 7 Low Mt. High counts of: in NC since 2001 F 6 l 5 1 - Alleghany - 1997-10-08 = Not seen since 2001 4 • i 3 1 - Bladen - 1994-10-30 g 2 Status Rank h 1 1 - Cumberland - 2002-05-17 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 10 10 9 9 t 8 n=0 8 n=11 e 7 Pd 7 CP s 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 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: Arctiini TAXONOMIC_COMMENTS: One of 36 species in this that occur in North America (Schmidt, 2009), nine of which have been recorded in North Carolina

FIELD GUIDE DESCRIPTIONS: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012) ONLINE PHOTOS: MPG, Bugguide, BAMONA TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION, ADULTS: Forbes (1960); Schmidt (2009) TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION, IMMATURE STAGES: Forbes (1960); Wagner (2005)

ID COMMENTS: A medium-sized, boldly marked Tiger Moth that is fairly easy to identify based on good quality photographs showing both the fore- and hindwings. Both sexes are similar to male G. placentia but are slightly smaller and narrower-winged. Hind-wings are crimson, with a prominent black spot in the medial area and with a row of large spots in the sub-terminal area, similar to that in G. parthenice but constrasting with the much thinner line of placentia. The form typically found in our area lacks fine vein lines on the forewings, although forms with these lines -- formerly identified as G. oithonia -- can occur in all populations of this species (see Schmidt, 2009). Individuals with that pattern are similar to G. parthenice, but are much smaller (in our area) and possess a pinkish rather than cream color on the undersides of the forewings; the post-median is also much straighter in phyllira than in parthenice. Typical individuals possess broad yellow bands (using the terminology of Schmidt, 2009) along the sub-cubital, medial, post-medial, and sub-terminal lines, and variably along the costa and inner margin. These bands are much better developed than in G. figurata (which also differs in hindwing pattern) but are comparable to those found in male G. placentia. The medial line in phyllira, however, is more curved in phyllira, particularly towards the costa and meets the costa at an acute angle, unlike that of placentia, where the medial is straight and meets the costa at a right angle (Forbes, 1960; Covell, 1984). The distance between the costal intersections of the medial and post- medial lines is only about 2x the distance between the intersections of the medial and post-medial with the sub-cubital, whereas it is about 3-4x the distance in placentia (Schmidt, 2009). Schmidt also notes that the last abdominal segment is black and pale in phyllira but solid black in placentia.

DISTRIBUTION: May occur sparsely over much of the state but has not yet been recorded in the northern Coastal Plain, southern mountains, or from the Outer Banks and other barrier islands

FLIGHT COMMENT: Probably has two to three flights in the Coastal Plain but possibly just one in the Mountains

HABITAT: Schmidt (2009) states that " phyllira occurs in dry, open woodland and grassland", including sandy prairie habitats in western Canada. The majority of our records come from Longleaf Pine flatwoods and sandhills -- the drier extremes of Longleaf habitats; records from wetter savannas and sandhill seepage bogs -- representing the wetter extreme -- on the other hand are lacking. Habitat was not recorded in the historic records from the Piedmont. In the Mountains, it may be associated with old pastures along the New River, possibly associated with sandy soils.

FOOD: Members of this genus are highly polyphagous, feeding on a wide range of herbaceous plants, with Dicots possibly preferred (Schmidt, 2009)

OBSERVATION_METHODS: Appears to come sparsely to blacklights, almost always as single individuals. The mouthparts are non-functional (Singer, 2000, cited in Schmidt, 2009), so it does not come to bait.

NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM RANKS: G4 S3->[SU]

STATE PROTECTION: Listed as Significantly Rare in North Carolina by the Natural Heritage Program; probably should be moved to the Watch List. It has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

COMMENTS: Uncommon to rare and apparently specialized on Longleaf Pine habitats in the Coastal Plain. The distribution in the Mountains is less clear and it also appears to be associated with old pastures in that area, although possibly in association with sandy soils. Distribution and habitat preferences need to be better understood in both the Mountains and Piedmont before an accurate assessment can be made of its conservation status.

March 2021 The of North Carolina - Early Draft 1