Moths of North Carolina
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Thaumatopsis Members:
10 NC Records

Thaumatopsis floridella Barnes & McDunnough, 1913 - Floridian Grass-veneer Moth

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Pyraloidea Family: CrambidaeSubfamily: CrambinaeTribe: CrambiniP3 Number: 800854.00 MONA Number: 5443.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Barnes and McDunnough (1913)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following description is based in part on the original description by Barnes and McDunnough (1913). The antenna of the male is unipectinate and the palp is smoky-brown. The head and thorax are pale brownish-yellow. The forewing is yellowish-brown overall, with some or all of the costa and sub-costal region similar but darker. A narrow white line is present that extends from the base of wing through the cell and broadens gradually to around two-thirds the wing length, beyond which it becomes a diffuse, broad and multi-streaked shade that extends to the outer margin below the apex. The white line is bordered costally by a diffuse black line or streak that extends from around one-third the wing length to the apex and fades into the yellowish-brown region below the costa. The dorsal two-thirds of the wing beyond the white stripe is variably and can range from being rather uniformly colored with little marking, to being marked with a series of fine, longitudinal, white lines, particularly on the outer third of the wing. The subterminal line is represented as a line of dark brown or blackish dots that are sometimes edged with white outwardly. The outer margin has a terminal row of black dots, and the fringe is concolorous with the adjoining ground color on the wing. The hindwing varies from whitish to smoky gray or brownish-gray and has a slightly paler fringe.
Wingspan: 23-30 mm (Barnes and McDunnough, 1913).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larval life history is undocumented.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Thaumatopsis floridella is found in coastal and maritime communities from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Jersey southward along the Atlantic Coast to the Florida Keys, and westward along the Gulf Coast to southern Mississippi, southern Louisiana and southern Texas. As of 2023, all of our records are from maritime communities in the central and southern part of the state.
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 nearly year-round in Florida and from May through September elsewhere. As of 2023, our records range from early May to late-August. Populations in North Carolina appear to be bivoltine, with the first generation centered around May and the second in August.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Our records are mostly from costal dune and scrub communities and rarely maritime forests.
Larval Host Plants: The host plants are undocumented. Heppner (2007) listed 'grass' but presumably because many members of the Crambini use grasses as hosts. We are unaware of any specific documentation of the larvae using a particular host species. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to UV lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S1-S3]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This is a seemly rare or uncommon species outside of Florida. As of 2023, we have only four site records for the state. Additional information is needed on the larval life history, host plants and distribution before we can accurately assess the conservation status of this species.

 Photo Gallery for Thaumatopsis floridella - Floridian Grass-veneer Moth

Photos: 5

Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2023-05-21
New Hanover Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-05-01
Pender Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-05-01
Pender Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2022-08-05
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2021-08-11
Carteret Co.
Comment: