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Species Mythimna unipuncta - Armyworm Moth - Hodges#10438
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 Leucaniini
Genus Mythimna
Species unipuncta (Armyworm Moth - Hodges#10438)
Other Common Names True Armyworm
The One-spot
The White-speck Synonyms and other taxonomic changes Mythimna unipuncta ( Haworth, 1809)
Noctua unipuncta Haworth, 1809
Synonyms:
Leucania extranea Guenée, 1852
Leucania antica Walker, 1856
Pseudaletia unipuncta quechua Franclemont, 1951 [
Leucania unipuncta tseki
Phylogenetic sequence # 932935 Explanation of Names the common name comes from the caterpillars, which eat until there is nothing left, then "march" to a new food source.
the scientific name is Latin for "one-pointed", referring to the white speck on the upper surface of each forewing, and is also the reason for Haworth's common name " The White-speck". Numbers Four Mythimna species are found in America north of Mexico. (1)Size Wingspan 35-47 mm.
Larvae to 50 mm. Identification Adult: forewing tan, often tinged with orange and lightly speckled with black; white along veins; PM line a series of small widely-spaced black dots; discal spot white; black-shaded line slants inward from apex; hindwing grayish-brown with tan fringe.
[adapted from description by Charles Covell]
Larva: head pale brown with green tinge and mottled with dark brown; body smooth, almost hairless, variably yellowish-green to brown to dark gray, with several dark stripes interspersed with pale lines along top and sides.
[adapted from description by Vermont Dept. of Agriculture]
Range Throughout North America except the arctic (Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut)
also occurs in many other areas of the world. Habitat Fields, gardens, meadows, waste places; adults are nocturnal and come to light. Season Adults fly year round in the south and from March to November in northern areas. Food Larvae are generalist feeders on many species of plants: alfalfa, corn and other grains, grasses, vegetables, many weeds and other wild plants, leaves of fruit trees and ornamentals. Life Cycle Two or three generations per year; overwinters as either a pupa or partially-grown larva which pupates in the spring.
Life cycle images:
larva; older larva; older larva; spent pupa in woven nest; adult
Remarks The two North American species formerly placed in Pseudaletia were included in Mythimna by Lafontaine and Troubridge in 2003 ( see CBIF article). Print References Boisduval & Guenée, Hist. nat. Ins., Spec. gén. Lépid. 5 (Noct. 1) : 77
Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 53 (2) : 67, f. 13.
Koutsaftikis, 1974; Ann. Musei Goulandris, 2: 96.
Powell, J.A. & P.A. Opler 2009. Moths of Western North America. University of California Press. plate 56, fig. 1; p. 304. (2)Internet References live adult images plus description, flight season, foodplants (Lynn Scott, Ontario)
dorsal and ventral views of pinned adults plus foodplants and other info (Dale Clark, Texas)
Taxonomic Notes on North American Noctuidae describing recent classification changes (Donald Lafontaine and James Troubridge, CBIF)
distribution in Canada listing all ten provinces (U. of Alberta, using CBIF data)
Lepidoptera Brittanica, p.174 Haworth's original description of the species Works Cited | 2. | Moths of Western North America
Powell and Opler. 2009. UC Press. | |
Contributed by Robin McLeod on 6 February, 2005 - 2:53am Additional contributions by Hannah Nendick-Mason, Tony-2, Chuck Entz, Maury Heiman, marcie oconnor, Randy Hardy, Fyn Kynd, Kyhl Austin, Steve MorrisLast updated 16 September, 2022 - 10:05am |
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