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Genus Lithophane - Pinions

Lithophane queraquera - Lithophane querquera

Noctuidae: Lithophane pertorrida - Lithophane pertorrida

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 Noctuinae (Cutworm or Dart Moths)

Tribe Xylenini

Subtribe Xylenina

Genus Lithophane (Pinions)

Numbers

Lafontaine & Schmidt (2010) listed 52 Lithophane species in America north of Mexico.(1)

3 species were described in 2006 by Jim Troubridge (see PDF doc)

Identification

Adult: forewing usually gray to brownish with indistinct lines; live individuals at rest have an obvious and characteristic "square-shouldered" appearance

Larva: body usually green or grayish with variable pale or dark markings (see live images of 25 species by Lafontaine et al at CBIF)

Range

much of North America south of the arctic but most species are restricted to northern United States and southern Canada

Habitat

mixed and deciduous forests and woodlots; adults are nocturnal and come to light and bait

Season

adults fly in spring and fall

In Canada, these are winter moths; they emerge in September and October, fly for a month, then hibernate and fly again in March and April. Larvae feed in spring and summer, pupate, and emerge as moths in the fall. [Tony Thomas]

Food

larvae of most species feed on leaves of broadleaved trees and shrubs; a few species feed on conifers such as cedar (in L. thujae) and juniper (in L. boogeri); some larvae may also feed on other caterpillars, including their own siblings

They have been observed to feed on winter moth caterpillars and sawfly larvae (Sam Jaffe's observation, here, also B. Moisset, here)

Life Cycle

overwinters as an adult; one generation per year

Print References

Troubridge, J.T. 2006. Three new species of Lithophane Hubner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Xyleninae). Zootaxa 1284: 61-68. Magnolia Press. - available in PDF format

Internet References

adult image thumbnails of 24 species occurring in eastern Canada (CBIF)

adult image thumbnails of 22 species occurring in western Canada (CBIF)

pinned adult images of 24 species by Jim Vargo (Moth Photographers Group)

live larva images of 25 species (Lafontaine et al, CBIF)

distribution and foodplants; PDF doc of 11 species, plus seasonality and remarks (David Wagner et al, Owlet Caterpillars of Eastern North America, U. of Connecticut)

distribution in Canada of 30 species, listing provinces of occurrence for each (U. of Alberta, using CBIF data)

Works Cited

1.	Annotated check list of the Noctuoidea (Insecta, Lepidoptera) of North America north of Mexico. Donald J. Lafontaine, B. Christian Schmidt. 2010. ZooKeys 40: 1–239 .

Contributed by Robin McLeod on 20 March, 2005 - 4:37pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Tony-2, Maury Heiman
Last updated 22 March, 2014 - 11:59pm

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