Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Wingspan 6.2 cm. Forewing is black with many large and round yellow spots; hindwing is variable, either orange with black bands or mostly black with orange spots; thorax is black with dorsal-anterior patches of yellow. This arctiid is common in meadows of western North America. Moths fly during the day in early summer. Caterpillars are generalist feeders on foliage of herbaceous plants.
Similar species: Platarctia parthenos (Arctiidae) forewing is brown with small yellow spots, thorax is red-brown, uncommon and restricted to the northern Rocky Mountain region including the Blue Mountains.
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/insects/macronw/10.htm
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Page Last Modified: Thursday, 03-Aug-2006 11:39:25 EDT
Menlo Park, CA [caww55]
