Scolecocampa liburna (Geyer, 1837) Dead-Wood Borer Moth
Creators: name: Pogue, Michael G.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuidae
Scolecocampa
Scolecocampa liburna

description: 6. Scolecocampa liburna (Geyer, 1837) Dead-Wood Borer Moth
(Figs. 50–51, Map 24)
Identification. Forewing length 15.3–18.1 mm. Scolecocampa liburna has a light-brown forewing with a distinct, black, oval reniform spot. Forewing has a small black spot at base; antemedial line faint, zig zag, made up of rufous scales and is usually absent or only a few rufous scales are evident; orbicular spot small and black; reniform spot is variable in its intensity it can be either solid black, black with a rufous center, or a black outline with a ground color center; postmedial line a slightly curved series of faint black spots; subterminal line a series of faint crescentshaped black spots that more or less parallels postmedial line; terminal area has a large black patch distal to reniform spot; terminal line a series of black spots between veins; fringe ground color with black spots between black spots of terminal line. Hind wing is dark gray with terminal line a series of black spots between veins; fringe light brown. Labial palpus is porrect, black with some white scales dorsally and a light brown apex, and approximately 5 X eye width.
Flight period. June to August, probably multiple brooded.
Collected localities. North Carolina: Haywood Co.: Big Creek, 0.4 mi from entrance; Cataloochee, service rd. off Cataloochee rd. Swain Co.: Big Cove Rd., site b, site p; Deep Creek Ranger Station; Forney Creek, 0.4 km up trail from Lake Fontana; Hazel Creek, below Bradshaw Cemetery; 0.2 km W mouth of Hazel Creek; 0.5 km from mouth of Chambers Creek, 300 ft. up hillside on SW side; 0.7 km up creek from mouth of Goldmine Creek; 0.7 km S Payne Cemetery; 300 ft. above Lake Fontana on Welch Ridge; Wiggins-Watson Cemetery. Tennessee: Blount Co.: Ace Gap Trailhead; Cades Cove Ranger Station; Cades Cove Campground; nr. gate to Cades Cove Loop; Scott Mountain Trail, Campsite 6, head of spring; Campsite 6 along Scott Mountain Trail; Tremont; Cocke Co.: 0.6 mi from Jct. of Rt. 32 on road to Cosby Campground; 1.2 mi from state route 32 on road to Cosby campground; Cosby Campground; Cosby Campground area; 0.25 mi inside entrance to Cosby; Cosby Ranger Station; Cosby picnic area, off Gabes Mountain Trail; Foothills Parkway; Foothills Parkway, 3rd overlook from Cosby; Foothills Parkway, pull-off between 2nd & 3rd, up trail to right; Foothills Parkway, 2nd pullout; Foothills Parkway East; Foothills Parkway, 1st overlook; Maddron Bald Trail; Sevier Co., Laurel Falls Trail; Campsite 20, nr. creek on Meigs Mountain Trail; W of Campsite 20; Greenbrier area, end of Ramsey Cascade Road, uphill from parking lot; Greenbrier area, Old Settlers Trail, off Ramsey Cascade Road; Greenbrier covered picnic area, 3.5 mi S Rt. 321; Greenbrier picnic shelter; Jake’s Creek Trail, nr. Campsite 27; Jake’s Creek Trail, above Campsite 27; Jake’s Creek Trail; Park Headquaters; return on Greenbrier Loop Road, 3.85 mi S Rt. 321. (87 specimens)
Elevation range. 1350–3640 ft. (411–1109 m)
General distribution. Distributed from New York south to Florida and west to Michigan, south to Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and east Texas.
Larval hosts. Larva bores into decaying logs and stumps of chestnut (Castanea sp., Fagaceae), oak (Quercus sp., Fagaceae), and hickory (Carya sp., Juglandaceae) (Covell 1984). Larvae have been found under bark of trees especially tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L., Magnoliaceae) (Rings et al. 1992).
MAP 24. Collecting localities of Scolecocampa liburna.
description: Published as part of Pogue, Michael G., 2012, The Aventiinae, Boletobiinae, Eublemminae, Pangraptinae, Phytometrinae, and Scolecocampinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea: Erebidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U. S. A., pp. 1-31 in Zootaxa 3153 on pages 26-27, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.279582