Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members:
Abagrotis Members:
254 NC Records

Abagrotis alternata (Grote, 1864) - Greater Red Dart Moth


Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: NoctuidaeSubfamily: NoctuinaeTribe: NoctuiniP3 Number: 933680.00 MONA Number: 11029.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A. anchoceloides is similar in pattern but has spots that are smaller than the space between them; the subterminal line is also usually continuous in A. anchoceloides and the terminal space is usually not contrastingly paler than the rest of the wing (Forbes, 1954).
Wingspan: 3.5 - 4.2 cm (Covell, 1984)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Older instars are highly arboreal, moving from the leaf litter, where they spend the day, to the canopy at night. Pupates below ground (Wagner et al., 2011)
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Nearly statewide, but realtively uncommon on the coast and potentially absent from some counties.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Flight Comments: A. alternata is uncommon in mid-summer when A. anchocelioides is at its peak but is abundant in the fall (J.B. Sullivan, pers. obs.).
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Woodlands and forests (Wagner et al., 2011). Our records come almost entirely from hardwood forests, with few records from heathy flatwoods or sand ridges. Both dry and mesic hardwood forests are used.
Larval Host Plants: Feeds on dead leaves in the early instars but switches to hardwood trees and shrubs in later stages. Wagner et al. (2011) state that most records come from Blueberry and Oak, but other heaths, Cherry, and Walnut are also used. Beadle and Leckie (2012) also list hickory, apple, and spruce. We do not have any feeding records in North Carolina. - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Dry-Mesic Hardwood Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 S4S5
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
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 Photo Gallery for Abagrotis alternata - Greater Red Dart Moth

59 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2023-10-27
Graham Co.
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Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2023-10-19
Durham Co.
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Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2023-10-14
Graham Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-09-30
Madison Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin, Ivanna Knox, Marietta Shattelroe and Avery Young on 2023-09-21
Buncombe Co.
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Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-09-20
Buncombe Co.
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Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-11
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-09-06
Buncombe Co.
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Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-08-18
Caswell Co.
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Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-08-18
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-08-10
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, Stephen Dunn on 2023-07-26
Chatham Co.
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Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-06-18
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2022-10-30
Cabarrus Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-10-15
Madison Co.
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Recorded by: David George, Richard Teper, Lior Carlson on 2022-10-15
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-09-17
Madison Co.
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Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2022-09-16
Cabarrus Co.
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Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-07-24
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-07-15
Madison Co.
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Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2022-06-15
Cabarrus Co.
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Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2022-06-13
Cabarrus Co.
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Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2021-10-15
Cabarrus Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-09-14
Madison Co.
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Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2021-07-30
Wake Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-03-28
Bladen Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2020-10-12
Madison Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-09-26
Madison Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-09-14
Madison Co.
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Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-09-13
Guilford Co.
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