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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) » Hadenini » Melanchra » Zebra Caterpillar Moth - Hodges#10293 (Melanchra picta)

Species Melanchra picta - Zebra Caterpillar Moth - Hodges#10293

Classification · Hodges Number · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Zebra Caterpillar - Melanchra picta Zebra Caterpillar Moth - Melanchra picta 1512. Melanchra picta - Zebra Caterpillar Moth 10293 - Melanchra picta Zebra Arches - Melanchra picta Caterpillar - Melanchra picta Caterpillars on beach pea - Melanchra picta Pupa - Melanchra picta Noctuidae: Melanchra picta - Melanchra picta
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 Hadenini
Genus Melanchra
Species picta (Zebra Caterpillar Moth - Hodges#10293)
Hodges Number
10293
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Melanchra picta (Harris, 1841)
Ceramica picta Harris, 1841
Numbers
adults are uncommon but larvae may be a pest
Size
wingspan 30-42 mm
larvae to 30 mm
Identification
Adult: head, thorax, and forewing deep reddish-brown; upper half of forewing dark brown from base to reniform spot; reniform spot gray-filled and indistinct; broken whitish subterminal line is only line clearly visible
hindwing white with narrow brown band at outer margin

Larva: two broad yellow horizontal stripes run along each side of body, separated by vertical black and white lines; head orange to bright red; legs and underside pink
Range
southern half of Canada and northern half of United States
Habitat
fields, vegetable gardens, waste places
Season
adults fly from April to September
larvae from June to September
Food
larvae feed on alfalfa, cabbage, carrot, clover, dandelion, dock (Rumex spp.), pea, pigweed (Amaranthus spp.), strawberry, sweetfern, blackberry, blueberry, hazel, apple, birch, cherry, plum, willow
Life Cycle
one generation per year in west; two or more generations in east; overwinters either as a pupa (in east) or partially-grown larva (in west)
Print References
Powell, J.A. & P.A. Opler, 2009. Moths of Western North America. University of California Press pl. 55, 31; p. 303. (1)
Internet References
Moth Photographers Group (2)
The Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) (3)
pinned adult image (CBIF)
Works Cited
1.Moths of Western North America
Powell and Opler. 2009. UC Press.
2.North American Moth Photographers Group
3.BOLD: The Barcode of Life Data Systems
Contributed by Robin McLeod on 23 August, 2005 - 9:48am
Additional contributions by Maury Heiman, Ethan Kistler
Last updated 5 June, 2014 - 10:41pm

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