Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Dargida diffusa (Walker, 1856)
Leucania diffusa Walker, 1856
Faronta diffusa (Walker, 1856)
Leucania albilinea of authors not Hübner, [1821]
Leucania harveyi Grote, 1873
Leucania moderata Walker, 1856
Faronta terrapictalis Buckett, 1969 (this can be treated as a subspecies)
(1)
Subspecies:
Dargida diffusa diffusa (Walker, 1856) (Leucania)
Dargida diffusa obscurior (Smith, 1902) (Leucania)
Dargida diffusa limitata (Smith, 1902) (Leucania)
Dargida diffusa neptis (Smith, 1902) (Leucania)
Phylogenetic sequence # 932928.
Explanation of Names
"diffusa" means widespread, probably referring to the range.
Numbers
Lafontaine & Schmidt (2010) listed eight species of the genus
Dargida in America north of Mexico.
(2)Size
Forewing length 12-16 mm.
(3)Identification
Adult: pale yellowish ground color similar to Wainscot moths (Leucania spp.) but forewing has less streaking; the central longitudinal stripe breaks up before reaching the outer edge of the wing, dissolving into a broad delta-shaped gray area that stretches from the anal angle to the apex.
Specimen identified by DNA analysis (BOLD).
(4)
Genitalia:
Larvae: range from several shades of green, yellow and pink to brownish. There is a pale middorsal line and a supraspiracular black band. The spiracles are light yellow with black rims.
(3)Range
mostly e NA to the Rockies -
Map (5),
(6),
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(8),
(9),
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(10)Season
Adults usually fly from March through October.
(3)Food
Larvae feed on seed heads of cereal crops and grasses especially timothy grass.
Remarks
Considered a pest of corn and wheat.
(3)See Also
Compare on the pinned plates of
Moth Photographers GroupPrint References
Buckett, J.S. 1967 [1969]. A new species of armyworm.
Journal of research on the Lepidoptera. 6(4):
268.
Powell, J.A., and P.A. Opler, 2009.
Moths of Western North America. University of California Press, pl. 55, fig. 40; p. 304.
(3)
Smith, J.B.1902. Contributions toward a monograph of the Lepidopterous family Noctuidae of boreal North America. Revision of the moths referred to the genus
Leucania, with descriptions of new species.
Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 25:
159-203. (
albilinea, p.
185;
obscurior, p.
186;
diffusa, p.
186;
limitata , p.
187;
neptis, p.
188)
Walker, F., 1856.
List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum, 9:
94.
