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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Owlet Moths and kin (Noctuoidea) » Owlet Moths (Noctuidae) » Cutworm or Dart Moths (Noctuinae) » Leucaniini » Leucania » Many-lined Wainscot - Hodges#10446 (Leucania multilinea)

Species Leucania multilinea - Many-lined Wainscot - Hodges#10446

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

Many-lined Wainscot - Leucania multilinea

Noctuidae: Leucania multilinea? - Leucania multilinea

Noctuidae: Leucania phragmitidicola? - Leucania multilinea

Many-lined Wainscot (Leucania multilinea) - Leucania multilinea

Many-lined Wainscot - Hodges#10446 - Leucania multilinea

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 Leucaniini

Genus Leucania

Species multilinea (Many-lined Wainscot - Hodges#10446)

Hodges Number

10446

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Leucania multilinea Walker, 1856

Cirphis multilinea

Explanation of Names

MULTILINEA: literally, "many-lined" - the origin of the common name, based on the appearance of the forewing

Size

wingspan 33-50 mm

Identification

forewing light brown streaked with fine brown and blackish lines; black dot above white streak where Cu1 and M3 veins separate; PM line consists of two or three black dots; three sharp even gray lines across collar behind head (if visible, this characteristic is diagnostic) - Note: Other species can have this characteristic. Per Hampson, 1905, L. phragmitidicola can have three gray lines across collar behind head. Leucania adjuta also can have three lines based on DNA tested examples.

hindwing white with gray shading at outer margin

See Noctuidae of North America (nearctica.com) (1)

Larvae: see Godfrey, 1972, p. 91 (2) & Wagner, 2011, p. 508 (3)

Range

British Columbia to Nova Scotia, south to Florida, west to Arizona

Season

adults fly from June to September

Food

larvae feed on grasses (Poaceae)

See Also

L. commoides has more black streaking, and L. lapidaria has less black streaking than the Many-lined Wainscot. L. lapidaria is probably the most similar, but it lacks L. multilinea's thick black streak that originates in the middle of the wing and runs straight to the outer edge.

Print References

Hampson, G.F. 1905. Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalænæ in the British Museum. 5: 482

Smith, J.B. 1903. Contributions toward a monograph of the Lepidopterous Family Noctuidae of boreal North America. A revision of the moths referred to the genus Leucania with descriptions of new species. No. 1283. Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 25: 196.

Walker, F.W. 1856. Noctuidae. List of the specimens of lepidopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. 9: 97

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group (MPG) (4)

The Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) (5)

Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)(6)

Pacific Northwest Moths (PNM) (7)

E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum (8)

Noctuidae of North America (nearctica.com) (1)

Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility (CBIF)

pinned adult image (Bruce Walsh, Moths of Southeastern Arizona)

Works Cited

1.	Noctuidae of North America (nearctica.com)

2.	A Review and Reclassification of Larvae of the Subfamily Hadeninae (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) of America North of Mexico George L. Godfrey. 1972. United States Department of Agriculture Technical Bulletin 1450: 1-265.

3.	Owlet Caterpillars of Eastern North America David L. Wagner. 2011. Princeton University Press.

4.	North American Moth Photographers Group

5.	BOLD: The Barcode of Life Data Systems

6.	Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)

7.	Pacific Northwest Moths

8.	University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Contributed by Robin McLeod on 26 August, 2005 - 6:39pm
Additional contributions by Steve Nanz, Chuck Entz, Nick Block
Last updated 8 January, 2019 - 10:11am

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