Erebidae

Metalectra diabolica Diabolical Fungus

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: 3 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec o 10 f 9 n=1 • = Sighting or Collection 8 • 7 Low Mt. High counts of: in NC since 2001 F 6 l 5 1 - Camden - 2008-07-02 4 i 3 1 - Ashe - 2007-07-08 g 2 Status Rank h 1 1 - Pender - 2016-05-31 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=2 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: TAXONOMIC_COMMENTS: One of eleven species in this that occur in North America (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2010), six of which have been recorded in .

FIELD GUIDE DESCRIPTIONS: ONLINE PHOTOS: MPG, BugGuide, BAMONA, BOLD TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION, ADULTS: Barnes and Benjamin (1924); Forbes (1954) TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION, IMMATURE STAGES:

ID COMMENTS: Intermediate in size between tantillus and M. albilinea. According to Forbes (1954), diabolica is generally fuscous and marked with extensive areas of light luteous, whereas tantillus is a dull black, marked with cream-colored spots but without any extensive paler areas. Both of these species have relatively strong black reniform spots on the forewings and a black discal spot on the hindwing, but diabolica has a pair of dark median lines on the forewing (Barnes and Benjamin; Forbes), the outermost of which runs through the reniform; diabolica also often has a dark line on the hindwing that also runs through the dark discal spot. These lines are apparently not well-defined in tantillus.

DISTRIBUTION: Found in the Coastal Plain and Mountains, but without any clear evidence of resident populations

FLIGHT COMMENT: Our records come from May and July

HABITAT: We have two records from riparian habitats and one from a wet pine savanna located close to a blackwater swamp forest

FOOD: Probably feeds on fungi, like other members of this genus

OBSERVATION_METHODS: We have too little information to determine how well this species comes to lights. Other members of this genus have been observed at bait

NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM RANKS: G4 [SU]

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

COMMENTS: We currently have very few records for this species but we do not have enough evidence to know if it has any breeding populations established in the state. There is also no evidence that it is a habitat specialist, but there is simply too little information to estimate its conservation status in North Carolina.

March 2021 The of North Carolina - Early Draft 1