Ctenucha virginica
Virginia ctenucha | |
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Adult | |
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Larva | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
Family: | Erebidae |
Subfamily: | Arctiinae |
Genus: | Ctenucha |
Species: | C. virginica
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Binomial name | |
Ctenucha virginica Esper, 1794
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Synonyms | |
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Ctenucha virginica, the Virginia ctenucha, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper in 1794.
Morphology
[edit]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.[2] It undergoes metamorphosis in May–August.
Range
[edit]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.[3]
Food plants
[edit]Larvae feed on a variety of host plants including various grasses, irises, and sedges. Adults drink nectar from flowers including goldenrod.[1]
Images
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Caterpillar
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Detail
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Museum specimens
Similar species
[edit]- Cisseps fulvicollis – yellow-collared scape moth
- Harrisina americana – grapeleaf skeletonizer
References
[edit]- ^ a b Cotinis (12 July 2020). "Species Ctenucha virginica - Virginia Ctenucha - Hodges#8262". BugGuide. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
- ^ Patch, Edith (1921). A Meadow Caterpillar. University of Maine.
- ^ Schmidt, B. C. & Robinson, E. "Species Details Ctenucha virginica". University of Alberta Museums. E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
External links
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Lotts, Kelly & Naberhaus, Thomas (2017). "Virginia Ctenucha Ctenucha virginica (Esper, 1794)". Butterflies and Moths of North America. Retrieved November 10, 2020.