Euparthenos nubilis
| Locust Underwing | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Upperside of imago (scale in centimeters) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Hexapoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
| Family: | Noctuidae (disputed) |
| Subfamily: | Catocalinae |
| Genus: | Euparthenos Grote, 1876 |
| Species: | E. nubilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Euparthenos nubilis (Hübner, 1823) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
See text | |
The Locust Underwing (Euparthenos nubilis) is a noctuoid moth, the only member of its genus Euparthenos. It resembles some of the underwing moths of genus Catocala, which are fairly close relatives, in color, pattern, and the habit of resting on tree trunks. But E. nubilis can usually be immediately recognized by the 4 concentric black bands per hindwing, as opposed to one or two (at most 3) in Catocala. Color morphs of E. nubilis with altered pattern are known, however, and these may be hard to recognize without detailed exammination.[1]
This moth has light grey forewings with a pattern of darker grey and brown lines and shading. The hindwings are yellow-orange with the aforementioned four black bands each. The wingspan is 56–70 mm (over 2 to almost 3 inches.[2]
It is found from Maine, Ontario and Quebec, south to northern Florida, west to Nebraska and Arizona. Adults are on wing from April to September. There are two generations per year. The larvae feed on Robinia (locust tree) species, such as Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia). The adults like to drink the juice of fermenting fruit, and are attracted to lights.[2]
Systematics and taxonomy
This moth is placed in subfamily Catocalinae, either of the family Noctuidae, or – if the Noctuidae are circumscribed more strictly – of family Erebidae. Its exact position within the Catocalinae is not well resolved; it may belong to subtribe Ophiusina though (tribe Ophiusini if the "Erebidae" arrangement is used).[3]
Subspecies are:[4]
- Euparthenos nubilis apache (Poling, 1901)
- Euparthenos nubilis nubilis (Hübner, 1823)
- Euparthenos nubilis osiris Barnes & Benjamin, 1926
The junior synonyms of this moth are:[4]
- Genus-level:
- Catocalirrhus Andrews, 1877
- Parthenos Hübner, 1823 (non Hübner, 1819: preoccupied)
- Species-level:
- Euparthenos faciata (Beutenmüller, 1907)
- Euparthenos unilineata (Chermock & Chermock, 1940) (morph)
Footnotes
References
Data related to Euparthenos at Wikispecies
- BugGuide (2011): Euparthenos nubilis. Version of 2011-JUN-22. Retrieved 2011-DEC-27.
- Nelson, John M. & Loy, Peter W. (1983): The Underwing Moths (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Oklahoma. Proceedings of the Oklahoma Academy of Science 63: 60-67. PDF fulltext
- Savela, Markku (2001): Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and some other life forms: Euparthenos. Version of 2001-DEC-15. Retrieved 2011-DEC-27.