Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Wingspan 3.6 cm. Forewing is light red to purple with a black subapical patch and black in the lower half of the reniform spot; hindwing is red-gray. This noctuid is common and widely distributed in dry forests in western North America. Moths fly in fall and early winter. Caterpillars feed on the foliage of lupine (Lupinus).
Similar species: a group of very similar noctuids fly in fall and winter and have caterpillars that are generalist feeders on the foliage of flowering trees and shrubs; Agrochola pulchella forewing with contrasting red, purple and orange bands; Eupsilia tristigmata (Noctuidae) forewing is red-brown, hindwing black; Sunira decipiens (Noctuidae) forewing is pale yellow to orange, hindwing white; Xanthia togata (Noctuidae) forewing is yellow with purple spots, hindwing yellow; Anathix puta (Noctuidae) forewing is pale brown, gray or dark brown, hindwing gray.
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/insects/macronw/160.htm
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Page Last Modified: Thursday, 03-Aug-2006 11:39:25 EDT
Menlo Park, CA [caww55]
