Numbers
5 species in North America listed at
All-LepsIdentification
Adult: forewing variably yellowish, brown, pale grayish, or violet-brown; AM and PM lines distinct in some species, almost absent in others; hindwing yellowish-brown to grayish, often with noticeable PM line
Larva: recognized by intersegmental dorsal black spots between A1-A2 and A2-A3 (but concealed in fold when larva is at rest); prolegs lacking on A3 and A4; body yellowish-brown with broad chocolate subdorsal and subventral stripes; wide yellowish-brown lateral area often divided by narrow dark brown stripe running through spiracles from T1 to A8; head pale brown with numerous fine stripes and contrasting white lines
[adapted from description by Wagner et al, who say that larvae cannot be reliably identified to species]
Range
mostly southeastern United States
M. cubana: Florida (and Cuba)
M. disseverans: South Carolina to Florida, west to Arizona
M. latipes: Missouri to North Carolina, south to Florida and Texas; strays northward in fall, occasionally as far as New York and Ontario
M. marcida: North Carolina to Florida, west to Texas, rarely straying northward as far as New York
M. texana: Minnesota through Ohio to Massachusetts, south to Florida and Texas
several other species occur in the neotropics and Australia
Habitat
fields, marshes, grasslands, mesquite scrub, and other open areas; adults are nocturnal and come to light
Season
adults fly from April to November, or all year in the far south
larvae from May onward, or all year in southern Florida and Texas
Food
larvae feed on forage and pasture grasses, as well as corn, rice, sorghum, and sugarcane, and may also feed on beans and turnips
Life Cycle
multiple generations per year; overwinters as a pupa, but larvae are present year-round in the far south
Remarks
Author of genus is Hubner, 1823.
See Also
compare pinned adult photos of several related genera by Jim Vargo at
MPG
Mocis caterpillars may be confused with those of Caenurgia, Caenurgina, and Ptichodis
Internet References
pinned adult images by Jim Vargo of 5 species, one of which (
M. megas) does not occur in North America (Moth Photographers Group)
pinned adult image of
M. disseverens (Bruce Walsh, Moths of Southeastern Arizona)
pinned adult images of
M. latipes from Clemson University Collection (John Snyder, Furman U., South Carolina)
live adult images of
M. marcida by Randy Newman and others (North Carolina State Park System)
pinned adult image of
M. texana (James Adams, Dalton State College, Georgia)
description of larvae plus habitat, foodplants, seasonality, distribution, biology, remarks (David Wagner
et al, Owlet Caterpillars of Eastern North America, U. of Connecticut)
North Carolina State University Entomology lists three species for that state, with number pinned:
latipes (21),
marcida (8),
texana (11).
presence in Florida list of 5 species (John Heppner, Florida State Collection of Arthropods)
presence in Texas list of 3 species (James Gillaspy, U. of Texas)
presence in New York list of 3 species (Timothy McCabe, Olive Natural Heritage Society, New York)
chemical trap capture experiment plus foodplants, seasonality, common name reference [Grass Loopers; larvae], and other info (Robert Meagher and Paul Mislevy, Florida Entomologist)
Contributed by
Cotinis on 9 October, 2004 - 9:41am
Additional contributions by
Robin McLeodLast updated 11 December, 2006 - 6:53pm
