Genus Schinia - Flower Moths

Classification · Numbers · Identification · Range · Habitat · Food · Internet References · Works Cited

Schinia n. sp., a larva, lateral - Schinia nr-jaguarina

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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 Heliothinae

Genus Schinia (Flower Moths)

Numbers

Lafontaine & Schmidt (2010) listed 123 species of the genus Schinia in America north of Mexico. (1)

Lafontaine & Schmidt (2011) added three additional species. (2)

Identification

Many species are brightly-colored, providing good camouflage against the flowers on which they feed and lay eggs. Forewing color ranges from white to near black, some with large amounts of pink or yellow, and a good number of darker brown species that have large pale patches that break up the moth's outline and resemble dappled areas of sunlight/shade.

Range

All of United States and southern Canada (one species ranges north to Yukon Territory); species diversity much greater in the west, especially the southwest.

Habitat

Adults and larvae are often found on or near the flowers of their host plant. Some adults fly during the day and others fly at night.

Food

Larvae feed on flowerbuds and blooms of host plant, and seedpods later.

Internet References

Compare species on the MPG plates.

Works Cited

1.	Annotated check list of the Noctuoidea (Insecta, Lepidoptera) of North America north of Mexico. Donald J. Lafontaine, B. Christian Schmidt. 2010. ZooKeys 40: 1–239 .

2.	Additions and corrections to the checklist of the Noctuoidea (Insecta, Lepidoptera) of North America north of Mexico J. Donald Lafontaine & B. Christian Schmidt. 2011. Zookeys, 149.1805.

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by Robin McLeod, Maury Heiman, Randy Hardy, Blocky, Steve Morris
Last updated 11 January, 2023 - 10:49am

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