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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 » Euchalciina » Diachrysia » Dark-spotted Looper - Hodges#8896 (Diachrysia aereoides)

Species Diachrysia aereoides - Dark-spotted Looper - Hodges#8896

Classification · Hodges Number · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Food · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Dark-spotted Looper - Diachrysia aereoides 8896 Dark-spotted Looper - Diachrysia aereoides Unidentified Moth-2-20150710 - Diachrysia aereoides Dark-spotted Looper Moth - Diachrysia aereoides Diachrysia aereoides Lépidoptère - Diachrysia aereoides Lépidoptère - Diachrysia aereoides - Diachrysia aereoides
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 Euchalciina
Genus Diachrysia
Species aereoides (Dark-spotted Looper - Hodges#8896)
Hodges Number
8896
Other Common Names
Lined Copper Looper
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Diachrysia aereoides (Grote, 1864)
Plusia aereoides Grote, 1864
Phytometra aereoides
* phylogenetic sequence #931178
* species epithet misspelled aeroides in Eichlin & Cunningham (1978).
Size
forewing length 17-18 mm (Pogue, 2005)(1)
Identification
Adults - forewing orangish-brown with pink tint; AM and PM lines parallel, almost straight; reniform and orbicular spots with distinct dark outlines; yellowish-gold band in subterminal area extends from inner margin, stopping just short of costa.
Range
Newfoundland to North Carolina, west to northern California, north to British Columbia (E.H. Strickland Museum).
Habitat
Woodland clearings and edges in damp areas where foodplants grow; adults nocturnal and attracted to light (E.H. Strickland Museum).
Food
Larvae feed on leaves of asters, mint, meadowsweet (Spiraea spp.), and other herbaceous or woody plants; probably a general feeder (E.H. Strickland Museum).
See Also
Unspotted Looper (Allagrapha aerea) has curved or wavy lines, no distinct orbicular or reniform spot, and is usually darker brown (compare images of both species).
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)(2)
Grote, A. R. 1864. Descriptions of North American Lepidoptera, no. 3 Proc. Ent. Soc. Philadelphia 3: 83
Lafontaine, J. D. & R. W. Poole 1991. Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 25.1: p.61; pl.1.25
Pogue, M. G. 2005. The Plusiinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Zootaxa 1032: 1–28 (PDF)(1)
Internet References
Moth Photographers Group - species page
E.H. Strickland Musem - species page
live adult images (Lynn Scott, Ontario)
pinned adult image (John Glaser, Maryland)
pinned adult image (CBIF)
pinned adult image (James Adams, Dalton State College, Georgia)
North American distribution map and references (Markku Savela, FUNET)
Works Cited
1.The Plusiinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Michael G, Pogue. 2005. Magnolia Press Zootaxa 1032: 1–28.
2.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 11 December, 2005 - 10:07am
Additional contributions by Tony-2, Randy Hardy
Last updated 21 July, 2021 - 9:58am

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