Species Agrotis orthogonia - Pale Western Cutworm - Hodges#10645

10645

Author: Morrison, 1876

Per MPG: Includes as a synonym Agrotis orthogonoides - 10646.

Phylogenetic sequence #933512

forewing length 13 - 17 mm (1)

Adult: FW pale putty to light gray-brown ground color • AM irregular with a long lateral loop at the inner margin • Claviform spot is small to medium sized, black and often filled with darker gray • Orbicular and reniform spots are black, filled with the ground color peripherally and dull gray centrally • PM dentate, slightly convex toward the margin near the reniform spot and then slightly obliqued toward the base to the trailing margin • Subterminal line is pale, preceded by a dark gray patch at the costa, and forms a broad W mark toward the margin on veins M3 and CuA1 • terminal area is darker gray (a)

Larva: pale yellow gray, darker on the sides than dorsally. The pale middorsal line is bounded on both sides by diffuse darker lines. There are also diffuse thin dark subdorsal lines. The head is unusual in being yellowish brown with ot without dark shading. When present, shading may form a distinct H or X-shaped pattern (1)

Alberta east to southwestern Saskatchewan, south to southern California, central Arizona, New Mexico and western Texas (1)

intermountains and high plains sagebrush and desert scrub (1)

single flight from mid July to early October (1)

larvae feed on herbaceous plants and grasses in 11 families (1)