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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Owlet Moths and kin (Noctuoidea) » Prominent Moths (Notodontidae) » Phalerinae » Datana » Contracted Datana - Hodges#7906 (Datana contracta)

Species Datana contracta - Contracted Datana - Hodges#7906

Classification · Hodges Number · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Identification · Range · Season · Food · See Also · Internet References · Works Cited

Possible Datana contracta Butterfly caterpillar - Datana contracta

Datana contracta or integerrima? - Datana contracta

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 Notodontidae (Prominent Moths)

Subfamily Phalerinae

Genus Datana

Species contracta (Contracted Datana - Hodges#7906)

Hodges Number

7906

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Datana contracta Walker, 1855

Phylogenetic sequence #930037

Size

WS = 38-55mm (1)

Identification

Adult: FW reddish brown, with wide, conspicuous yellowish shading along lines. Outer margin is not wavy. HW yellowish with pale brown shading. (1)

Larva can be identified by the cream-colored stripes, the subspiracular stripe being thicker than the others, and the host plant (oaks and chestnut).

Range

e US (w/ a few strays further n.) - Map (MPG)

Season

mostly: June to Sept - MPG

Food

chestnuts and oaks, other reported food plants may be in error (2)

See Also

Adults could be confused with D. integerrima, especially when worn. D. contracta tends to have some golden-orange shading along the costa, a heavy peppering of black scales over the entire forewings, and the pale shading along the median lines only present at the inner margin, not reaching the costa.

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group – MPG

BOLD Systems - images of pinned DNA supported specimens

Works Cited

1.	Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America Charles V. Covell, Jr. 2005.

2.	Caterpillars of Eastern North America David L. Wagner. 2005. Princeton University Press.

Contributed by tom murray on 7 December, 2008 - 10:00am
Additional contributions by Tony-2, Mike Quinn, Robert Lord Zimlich, dennepj10, JoAnneRusso
Last updated 24 March, 2023 - 4:58pm

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