Numbers
12 species in North America listed at
All-LepsSize
wingspan 22-28 mm, based on several Internet photos
Identification
Adult: forewing variably pale yellowish to dark brown with three untoothed lines crossing the wing; several species look very similar, but the two most common species in the east can be distinguished as follows:
B. repanda: forewing usually shows darkening at the reniform spot and also some dark shading of the three lines; outer margin slightly angulate; wing length 10-12 mm; male foretibia and forefemur with large dense black-tipped scale tufts
B. rectifascia: forewing usually shows no darkening at the reniform spot and no noticeable dark shading of the three lines; outer margin rounded; wing length 12-14 mm; male foretibia and forefemur without black-tipped scale tufts
See comparison photos by Jim Vargo and additional comment by Bob Patterson
here saying that "...photos of
B. rectifascia are apt to appear glossy or washed out, while those of
B. repanda tend to come out much darker overall."
Range
mostly southern United States from Florida to California, south to Argentina
one species (B. rectifascia) occurs north to Massachusetts and Manitoba
Season
adults fly from June to October (or April to November in Texas)
Food
larvae feed on
wax mallow (
Malvaviscus spp.),
fanpetals (
Sida spp.) and possibly other plants in the north
Print References
Ferguson, Douglas C. 1997. Review of the New World Bagisarinae with description of two new species from the southern United States (Noctuidae).
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society. 51(4): 344-357. [available online in PDF format
here]
Internet References
pinned adult images of 4
Bagisara species from Costa Rica (All-Leps)
pinned adult image of
Bagisara repanda from Jamaica (Matthew Barnes, Moths of Jamaica)
pinned adult image of
Bagisara repanda from the French Antilles (Pierre Zagatti, Catalogue of Lepidoptera of French Antilles)
pinned adult image of
Bagisara rectifascia from Manitoba (CBIF)
pinned adult image of
Bagisara rectifascia from Georgia (James Adams, Dalton State College, Georgia)
pinned adult image of
Bagisara buxea from California (California Dept. of Food and Agriculture)
pinned adult image of
Bagisara gulnare from Arizona (Bruce Walsh, Moths of Southeastern Arizona)
key to New World species; PDF doc plus description of 2 new species (Douglas Ferguson, courtesy Yale U., Connecticut)
larval foodplant reference of
B. rectifascia on
Malvaviscus (Texas A&M U.)
larval foodplant reference of
B. repanda on
Sida, plus links to images, synonyms, references (Markku Savela, FUNET)
presence of B. rectifascia in Massachusetts reported by Mark Mello; search on species "rectifascia" (Lepidopterists Society Season Summary, U. of Florida)
distribution in Canada B. rectifascia only, and only in Manitoba (U. of Alberta, using CBIF data)
Contributed by
Jeff Hollenbeck on 5 September, 2006 - 10:14pm
Additional contributions by
Robin McLeodLast updated 18 April, 2007 - 11:44am
