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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Owlet Moths and kin (Noctuoidea) » Owlet Moths (Noctuidae) » Agaristinae » Euscirrhopterus » Staghorn Cholla Moth - Hodges#9308 (Euscirrhopterus cosyra)

Species Euscirrhopterus cosyra - Staghorn Cholla Moth - Hodges#9308

Classification · Hodges Number · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Range · Season · Food · Life Cycle · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Cactus caterpillar - Euscirrhopterus cosyra

Staghorn Cholla Moth - Euscirrhopterus cosyra

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 Agaristinae

Genus Euscirrhopterus

Species cosyra (Staghorn Cholla Moth - Hodges#9308)

Hodges Number

9308

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Euthisanotia cosyra Druce, 1896

* phylogenetic sequence #931974

Size

Forewing length 1.7-1.9 mm (Powell & Opler, 2009).(1)

Range

Southern and western Texas, southern New Mexico to southern Arizona.

Season

Adults seen May-October.

Food

Assorted Cactaceae, favoring new growth on Pricklypear (Opuntia species), and especially on Cholla (Cylindropuntia species), but reported from genera as unrelated as Carnegeia (Saguaro).

In Arizona commonly found on Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa, C. arbuscula, C. spinosior, C. versicolor, etc.

Reported as reared on Cylindropuntia leptocaulis in Texas, and commonly found on C. leptocaulis, C. kleiniae, and sometimes C. imbricata in Texas and s. New Mexico.

Life Cycle

Larvae feed externally on cactus, rather than boring inside like many other cactus-feeders (Powell & Opler, 2009).(1)

See Also

Euscirrhopterus gloveri

Euscirrhopterus poeyi

Print References

Druce, H. 1896. Supplement Heterocera. Biologia Centrali-Americana 2 : 328

Powell, J. A. & P. A. Opler 2009. Moths of Western North America. pl.51.3f, p.283

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group - species page

Nearctica.com - species page

FLMNH - Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary - records from Texas

Moths of Southeastern Arizona - photo of pinned adult

Works Cited

1.	Moths of Western North America Powell and Opler. 2009. UC Press.

Contributed by Jim McClarin on 20 August, 2006 - 10:33am
Additional contributions by Maury Heiman, Ethan Kistler, David Ferguson, Randy Hardy
Last updated 29 March, 2013 - 7:26pm

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