Species Leuconycta diphteroides - Green Leuconycta - Hodges#9065

9065

Green Owlet (Moths of North Dakota)

First described in 1852 by Achille Guenée as Microcoelia diphteroides.

Diphtera is an obsolete name for the genus Moma. Guenée had the entry for that genus right after the original description of this species, and mentioned "Orion" (no doubt Diphtera/Moma orion) in that description. "diphteroides" therefore probably means "resembling Diphtera"

wingspan 27-32 mm (1)

Adult: forewing suffused with green (shade may vary from bright green to bluish-green to grayish-green) or rarely all-white; small black rectangular blotch touches costa near base, and another larger blotch half-way along costa, extending inward almost half the wing's width; one form has a number of black lines and spots scattered across the wing surface, whereas the form "obliterata" is relatively unmarked (see Lynn Scott's examples in links below); hindwing pale grayish with dull yellowish terminal band

Eastern North America: Nova Scotia to Florida, west to Texas, north to Saskatchewan

fields, open places; adults are nocturnal and come to light

Mainly univoltine with a partial second generation on Block Island, RI, with adult records from early May through early August.(2)

larvae feed on goldenrod and aster species

Covell, p. 148 & plate 26 #19 (1)

Moth Photographers Group - species page with photographs of living and pinned adults.

adult images (Larry Line, Maryland)

pinned adult image and other info (Gerald Fauske, Moths of North Dakota)

pinned adult image (CBIF)

pinned adult image (James Adams, Dalton State College, Georgia)

Histoire naturelle des insectes; spécies général des lépidoptères, v.5, p.34    Guenée's original description of the species