Moths of North Carolina
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8 NC Records

Anania mysippusalis (Walker, 1859) - No Common Name

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Pyraloidea Family: CrambidaeSubfamily: PyraustinaeTribe: PyraustiniP3 Number: 801433.00 MONA Number: 4957.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Munroe (1976)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Allyson (1981)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: In this species, the head, thorax, body, and wings are smoothly grayish brown or tannish brown (Munroe, 1976). The antemedial line, postmedial line, reniform spot and orbicular spot on the forewing are all brown and rather inconspicuous and somewhat diffuse. The postmedial line is relatively smooth and lacks dentations. It extends nearly perpendicular from the inner margin to about one-third the wing width before angling sharply to run parallel to the inner margin. It then bows outward near the middle before angling again to form a short connecting line that runs nearly perpendicular to the costa. The connecting line is often darker than the remainder of the postmedial line. The fringe is concolorous with the forewing ground. In unworn specimens there is often evidence of a faint, thin, double line near the termen and base of the fringe. The hindwing ground is concolorous with the forewing ground. The antemedial line is missing, and the postmedial line is generally similar in shape to the forewing line, but obscured on both ends. The fringe is white and there is often evidence of a thin double line near the base that is similar to that on the forewing.
Adult Structural Features: Munroe (1976) has an illustration of the male genitalia, along with descriptions of both the male and female genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larvae fold individual leaves or loosely web together the leaves and flowers of the host plants and feed from within the web. The late-instar larva are green with a dark-spotted head and dark green longitudinal lines, with the dorsal one most prominent. The prothoracic shield, anal shield and pinacula lack spots (Allyson, 1981). The larvae become more reddish-brown or reddish just before pupating, which occurs within the webbed leaves beneath a dense sheath of webbing.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Anania mysippusalis is a wide-ranging species that is found in the U.S. and Canada, including California, the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, the central and northern Rocky Mountain states and the eastern U.S. It occurs throughout much of southern Canada from the Yukon and British Columbia eastward to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. In the eastern U.S., the range extends from Maine southwestward through the Appalachian region to eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, and westward to northeastern North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois. As of 2023, all of our records are from the Blue Ridge.
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: The adults have been observed from April through September in different areas of the range, with the primary flight period from May through August. As of 2023, we have records from mid-May through mid-September. Populations at lower-elevations in the mountains appear to produce two broods per year, as is the case in the Northeast (Munroe, 1976).
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: This species is commonly found in mesic deciduous forests and forest edge habitats.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae reportedly feed on goldenrods and asters that are commonly found in woodland or woodland edge settings. Moth Photographers Group has records for larvae feeding on Zigzag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis) and Heartleaf Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium). We do not have any feeding records in North Carolina. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights. We need information on host use in North Carolina.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S2S3}
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: Anania mysippusalis reaches its southern range limit in the southern Appalachians where it appears to be uncommon. As of 2023, we have only four site records for North Carolina.

 Photo Gallery for Anania mysippusalis - No common name

Photos: 3

Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-05-30
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: tom ward on 2021-05-19
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Doug Blatny/Jackie Nelson on 2012-09-18
Ashe Co.
Comment: