Moths of North Carolina
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18 NC Records

Lophocampa maculata Harris, 1841 - Spotted Tussock Moth

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: ErebidaeSubfamily: ArctiinaeTribe: ArctiiniP3 Number: 930373.00 MONA Number: 8214.00
Comments: One of eleven species in this genus that occurs in North America (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2010), only two of which have been recorded in North Carolina
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1960)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1960); Wagner (2005)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Similar in size and wing shape to Halysidota sp., Leucanopsis longa, and Lophocampa caryae. Differs from Halysidota and Leucanopsis in having a more constrasting pattern of alternating bands of lighter buff and darker brown but lacks the white spots that are characteristic of L. caryae.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are boldly patterned with a broad area of yellow or cream in the middle of the abdomen, black with long white pencils at both ends of the body, and a mid-dorsal row of black tufts (Forbes, 1960; Wagner, 2005). Similar in coloration to larvae of Euchaetes egle, but with a different arrangement of the areas of black and yellow.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Found primarily in the Mountains but with records from the Eastern Piedmont and Fall-line Sandhills (which need to be verified)
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
Immature 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: Probably has a single flight in early summer
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Records from the Mountains come from upland sites along the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smokey Mountains National Park; records from the Piedmont come from lakeshore habitats
Larval Host Plants: Polyphagous, feeding on many species of hardwood trees and shrubs but preferring Alder (Alnus sp.) and Willow (Salix sp.) (Wagner, 2005) - View
Observation Methods: Records from the Mountains were all obtained using blacklights but it is unclear how well this species comes to lights in general
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 [SU]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands
Comments: Uncommonly recorded in North Carolina, where its distribution, abundance, and habitat associations need to be better understood before its conservation status can be assessed.

 Photo Gallery for Lophocampa maculata - Spotted Tussock Moth

Photos: 12

Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-06-25
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-06-25
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-08-30
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-05-21
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2020-08-15
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin, Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2019-07-30
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-07
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-07
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2017-08-30
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2017-08-30
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2016-06-28
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2014-05-26
Yancey Co.
Comment: