Moths of North Carolina
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Caenurgina Members:
51 NC Records

Caenurgina crassiuscula (Haworth, 1809) - Clover Looper

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: ErebidaeSubfamily: ErebinaeTribe: EuclidiiniP3 Number: 930923.00 MONA Number: 8738.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This species and males of Caenurgina erechtea are very similar in appearance and males may need to be dissected in order to definitely identify them. Both sexes of crassiuscula and males of erechtea have two dark bars crossing the forewing. In crassiuscula, both bars are relatively diffuse and usually only partly outlined; the upper bar, when complete, forms a wide loop that either joins or nearly touches the lower bar near the inner margin (Forbes, 1954). In males of erechtea, the lower portions of the bars are more completely edged and the upper bar is usually well separated from the lower bar and may also be separated from the inner margin by the pale edging. The ground color in crassiuscula is usually brown but grayer in erectea (Forbes, 1954). Sexes are similar in this species, although the bars in the females may be only vaguely indicated.
Wingspan: 30 mm, spring brood; 40 mm, summer brood (Forbes, 1954)
Adult Structural Features: Males can be distinguished from C. erechtea by their much weaker spine at the terminus of the costa and by their two short spines rather than a single long and forked spine at the sacculus (see Forbes, 1954, for details and illustrations).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
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
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Wagner et al. (2011) list pastures, fields, and roadsides as primary habitat. Our records also include woodlands but probably mainly along edges or herbaceous openings.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on both grasses and Legumes but appear to prefer grasses (Wagner et al, 2011). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Successional Fields and Forblands
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 S4
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Caenurgina crassiuscula - Clover Looper

Photos: 11

Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2023-09-17
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin and Tony McBride on 2023-07-23
Madison Co.
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Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-07-16
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-07-31
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2021-07-25
Graham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-07-29
Madison Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2020-07-24
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2018-08-08
Haywood Co.
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Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2018-07-09
Graham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2018-03-30
Yancey Co.
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Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2014-08-17
Cabarrus Co.
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