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Species Caradrina morpheus - Mottled Rustic - Hodges#9653

Caradrina morpheus Caradrina morpheus Mottled Rustic - Caradrina morpheus Mottled Rustic Moth - Caradrina morpheus Mottled Rustic Moth - Caradrina morpheus Unknown Moth - Caradrina morpheus Unknown Moth - Caradrina morpheus Sunira bicolorago - Caradrina morpheus
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 Caradrinini
Subtribe Caradrinina
Genus Caradrina
Species morpheus (Mottled Rustic - Hodges#9653)
Hodges Number
9653
Size
wingspan 32-38 mm
larvae length to 33 mm
Identification
Adult: forewing light to medium brown with dark brown orbicular spot, reniform spot, and broad subterminal band; faint reddish-orange streak running through orbicular and reniform spots is distinctive; brown-on-brown forewing color is unusual in noctuid moths; hindwing dirty white with fine dark terminal line and dark discal spot

Larva: head small, black; body almost hairless, pale yellowish with light brown dorsal band across each abdominal segment; spiracles black, connected by thin dark lateral line
genitalia
Range
a Eurasian species accidentally introduced to both coasts of North America; currently occurs in NB, QC, ON in the east, and AB, BC, OR, WA in the west
occurs throughout Eurasia from Scandinavia and the UK to Siberia and Korea
Habitat
woodlands, bogs, suburban yards; adults are nocturnal and come to light
Season
adults fly from May to August; peak numbers in July
larvae from August to November
Food
larvae feed on a variety of low-growing plants, especially Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), nettle (Urtica spp.), and Prostrate Knotweed (Polygonum aviculare)
Life Cycle
overwinters as a mature larva in an earthen cocoon within which it pupates in early spring; usually one generation per year, sometimes two