Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Wingspan 4.0 cm. Forewing is gray with reniform and orbicular spots fused together and outlined in black. This noctuid is widely distributed in western North America. Moths fly in early spring. Caterpillars feed on the foliage of oceanspray (Holodiscus), bitterbrush (Purshia), willow (Salix), and mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus).
Similar species: species of Cerastis, such as Cerastis enigmatica, and Stretchia, such as Stretchia muricina, are smaller, forewing with fused discal spots not strongly outlined in black.
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/insects/macronw/184.htm
Page Contact Information: Webmaster
Page Last Modified: Thursday, 03-Aug-2006 11:39:25 EDT
Menlo Park, CA [caww54]
