Ctenucha virginica
| Virginia ctenucha | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Adult | |
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| Larva | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
| Family: | Erebidae |
| Genus: | Ctenucha |
| Species: | C. virginica |
| Binomial name | |
| Ctenucha virginica Esper, 1794 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Ctenucha virginica, the Virginia ctenucha, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The wingspan ranges from 40–50 millimetres (1.6–2.0 in).[1] The wing color varies from black to olive-brown. The body is a metallic blue-green. The head is yellow-orange, with feathery antennae. The caterpillar (about 20–25 mm) has multiple tufts of white and yellow hair. It undergoes metamorphosis in May–August.
Range
It is endemic to eastern North America, from Newfoundland south to Virginia. According to the University of Alberta, there has been a westward expansion in the last 60 years as it has reached the Canadian rockies and is now found in all Canadian provinces.[2]
Food plants
Larvae feed on a variety of host plants including various grasses, irises, and sedges. Adults drink nectar from flowers including goldenrod.[3]
Images
caterpillar
Detail
Similar species
- Cisseps fulvicollis – Yellow-collared Scape Moth
References
- ↑ "Bugguide". Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ↑ "U of Alberta Species page - Ctenucha virginica". Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ↑ "Bugguide". Retrieved 30 December 2014.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ctenucha virginica. |