Erebidae

Estigmene acrea Salt Marsh

10 9 8 n=0 • • • • 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: 24 • Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec • • o 10 • f 9 n=5 • = Sighting or Collection 8 • 7 Low Mt. High counts of: • in NC since 2001 F 6 l 5 2 - Iredell - 2002-08-21 = Not seen since 2001 4 • i 3 2 - Robeson - 2009-06-21 g 2 Status Rank h 1 1 - Carteret - 1996-07-21 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=15 8 n=22 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 two species in this north of Mexico and the only one in our area

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

ID COMMENTS: Males are unmistakeable, with a combination of white forewings, dotted with black, and bright orange hindwings; easily identifiable from photographs that show at least a portion of the hindwings. Females are white with black spots on both pairs of wings and are similar in color to several other species of Arctiinae. They are larger and have longer hindwings than spotted members of and are much larger than Hyphantria; they are, conversely, smaller than Hypercompe scribonia, which has ring-shaped spots (some cobalt blue) that are missing in . Can be distinguished in photographs from Spilosoma congrua if the dorsal surface of the abdomen is showing -- it is pure white in congrua but strongly orange and spotted with black in Estigmene. Spilosoma dubia also has a yellow abdomen with dark spots but is more overlain with long white hair, which is missing in the much more brightly-colored abdomens of Estigmene. The thorax is also covered with long, fluffy white scales in Spilosoma species but is closely-scaled in Estigmene.

DISTRIBUTION: Described by Brimley (1938) as occurring from Wilkes and Catawba Counties eastward, but we now have several records from at least the Low Mountains. Probably occurs statewide except possibly the High Mountains.

FLIGHT COMMENT: Reported to have two broods over most of the East (Forbes, 1960; Wagner, 2005). Our records may be consistent with that pattern but adults appear to be present throughout most of the growing season, at least in the Coastal Plain.

HABITAT: Wagner (2005) lists general open areas as the habitats used by this species. Most of our records come from salt-marsh habitats and adjoining dune grasslands at Fort Macon State Park. Other records come from areas with fresh-water marshes or wet old-field habitats (e.g., New River State Park, Mason Farm Biological Preserve, Smith Creek Restoration site). We have only a couple of records from Longleaf Pine savannas, however, and none from peatlands, which may indicate that it is not adapted to frequent fire.

FOOD: Polyphagous, feeding on many low-growing forbs and graminoids -- including crop species -- as well as woody plants, including some tree species (Wagner, 2005).

OBSERVATION_METHODS: Appears to come somewhat poorly to blacklights, with only single specimens being collected in light traps, and not at all to bait.

NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM RANKS: G5 [S5?]

STATE PROTECTION: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands

COMMENTS: While we suspect that this species is more common than our records indicate, and that it probably occurs in a wide range of human-altered, open habitats, we have too few records to be completely sure about its status in the state.

March 2021 The of North Carolina - Early Draft 1