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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Owlet Moths and kin (Noctuoidea) » Owlet Moths (Noctuidae) » Cutworm or Dart Moths (Noctuinae) » Noctuini » Noctuina » Cerastis

Genus Cerastis

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Range · Habitat · Season · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

10994 -- Reddish Speckled Dart Moth - Cerastis tenebrifera - male

Noctuid caterpillar on wood anemone - Cerastis tenebrifera

Willow Dart - Hodges#10996 (Cerastis salicarum) - Cerastis salicarum

Reddish Speckled Dart - Cerastis tenebrifera

Pennsylvania Moth - Cerastis tenebrifera

Cerastis tenebrifera - Reddish Speckled Dart - Hodges#10994 - Cerastis tenebrifera

Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Superfamily Noctuoidea (Owlet Moths and kin)

Family Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)

Subfamily Noctuinae (Cutworm or Dart Moths)

Tribe Noctuini

Subtribe Noctuina

Genus Cerastis

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Cerastis Ochsenheimer, 1816

Glaeae Ochsenheimer, 1816

Cerastia Stephens, 1850

Sora Heinemann, 1859

Matuta Grote, 1874

Metalepsis Grote, 1875

Gypsitea Tams, 1939

Facastis Beck, [1992]

* formerly Metalepsis in part.

Explanation of Names

Generic epithet Cerastis is from an ancient name for the island of Cyprus and the Greek word for "horned." Ochsenheimer often used ancient place names when naming insects. (1)

Range

Holarctic. (2)

Habitat

Temperate forests. (2)

Season

Adults fly in spring, unusual among the Noctuinae. (2)

Print References

Crabo, L. & J.D. Lafontaine 1997. A revision of the Cerastis cornuta group of the genus Cerastis subgenus Metalepsis (Noctuidae). Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society, 51(3): 237-248 (2)

Ochsenheimer, F. 1816. Die schmetterlinge von Europa 4: 84

Internet References

pinned adult images of 4 species occurring in Canada (CBIF)

Works Cited

1.	An accentuated list of the British Lepidoptera, with hints on the derivation of the names. Anonymous. 1858. The Entomological Societies of Oxford and Cambridge.

2.	A revision of the Cerastis cornuta group of the genus Cerastis subgenus Metalepsis (Noctuidae) Lars Crabo, J Donald Lafontaine. 1997. Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society, 51(3): 237-248.

Contributed by Robin McLeod on 18 April, 2005 - 9:35pm
Additional contributions by Maury Heiman, Randy Hardy
Last updated 29 June, 2014 - 8:28pm

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