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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Owlet Moths and kin (Noctuoidea) » Owlet Moths (Noctuidae) » Looper Moths (Plusiinae) » Plusiini » Plusiina » Plusia » Connected Looper - Hodges#8952 (Plusia contexta)

Species Plusia contexta - Connected Looper - Hodges#8952

Representative Images

What Moth? - Plusia contexta Noctuidae: Plusia contexta? - Plusia contexta Connected Looper - Hodges#8952 - Plusia contexta Noctuidae: Plusia contexta - Plusia contexta Connected Looper - Hodges#8952 - Plusia contexta Plusia contexta Connected Looper - Hodges#8952 - Plusia contexta Plusia contexta
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 Plusiinae (Looper Moths)
Tribe Plusiini
Subtribe Plusiina
Genus Plusia
Species contexta (Connected Looper - Hodges#8952)

Hodges Number

8952

Other Common Names

Broad-streaked Looper

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Plusia contexta Grote, 1873
Euchalcia contexta
Phytometra contexta
Chrysaspidia contexta
* phylogenetic sequence #931239

Size

wingspan 30-35 mm

Identification

Adults - forewing brownish-yellow; stigma composed of two solid silver connected triangles; large silver dash near apex; fringe scales light pink.

Larvae - see detailed descriptions of egg, larva through five molts, pupa, and imagio (Thaxter, 1883).

Range

Northern United States and southern Canada east of the Rockies.

Habitat

Fields, meadows.

Season

Adults fly from June to October.

Food

Larvae feed on grasses (Tietz, 1972).

Life Cycle

Two generations per year.
Larva

Print References

Eichlin, T. D. & H. B. Cunningham 1978. The Plusiinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of America north of Mexico, emphasizing genitalic and larval morphology. USDA Tech. Bulletin 1567: 1-122 (PDF)(1)
Grote, A. R. 1873. On eight species of Noctuidae. Bulletin Buffalo Soc. Nat. Sci. 1: 193
Lafontaine, J. D. & R. W. Poole 1991. Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 25.1: p.129; pl.1.58-58
Ottolengui, R. 1902. Plusia and allied genera with descriptions of new species Jl. N.Y. Ent. Soc. 10(2): 63
Thaxter, R. 1883. Descriptions of noctuid larvae found on Cutts' Island, Maine. Papilio 3(1): 18

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group - species page
live adult images (Lynn Scott, Ontario)
common name reference [Broad-streaked Looper], description, distribution, and food plant (Gerald Fauske, Moths of North Dakota)
pinned adult image (CBIF)
common name reference [Connected Looper] plus food plant and flight season (Ohio State U.)

Works Cited

1.The Plusiinae (Lepidoptera:Noctuidae) of America north of Mexico, emphasizing genitalic and larval morphology
Thomas D. Eichlin, Hugh B. Cunningham. 1978. United States Department of Agriculture Technical Bulletin 1567: 1-121.
Contributed by Robin McLeod on 2 September, 2005 - 2:53am
Additional contributions by Jason D. Roberts, marcie oconnor, Randy Hardy
Last updated 30 December, 2021 - 6:47am

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