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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Owlet Moths and kin (Noctuoidea) » Owlet Moths (Noctuidae) » Heliothinae » Pyrrhia » Purple-Lined Sallow - Hodges#11064 (Pyrrhia exprimens)

Species Pyrrhia exprimens - Purple-Lined Sallow - Hodges#11064

Bronze moth, 12:35pm - Pyrrhia exprimens

Noctuidae: Pyrrhia exprimens - Pyrrhia exprimens

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 Heliothinae

Genus Pyrrhia

Species exprimens (Purple-Lined Sallow - Hodges#11064)

Hodges Number

11064

Other Common Names

Purple-lined Sun Moth (1)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

described in 1857 by Walker, who originally placed it in genus Heliothis

Size

wingspan 35-38 mm

Identification

Adult: forewing has sharply bent median line, dark purple pm. line. Forewing brown/orange on basal side of median line, purple shading on terminal side of the median line. Hindwing has purple/black border. (2)

Larva: fourth instar body green with white lateral stripe and many black dots; fifth instar white with dark yellow lateral stripe and many black dots

Range

Newfoundland to British Columbia, south to North Carolina, Texas, Arizona, and California

Habitat

open wooded areas, bogs, urban yards; adults are nocturnal and come to light

Season

adults fly from May to August

Food

Sweetfern, Polygonum spp. (2), willow, Prunus. General feeder on forbs and woody plants including legumes, chicory, columbine, dogbane, monkshood, pea, penstemon, poplar, rose, strawberry. (1)

Life Cycle

Larva; larva; adult

Remarks

Covell notes that the species is uncommon. (2)

Handfield records it as common in Quebec. (3)

Print References

Covell, p. 141 (2)

Handfield, Louis. 1999. Les Guides des Papillons du Quebec. Broquet. 662 pp. (3)

Internet References

Maryland Moths

Moth Photographer's Group

pinned adult image (CBIF)

distribution in Canada listing provinces of occurrence (U. of Alberta, using CBIF data)

Works Cited

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

2.	Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America Charles V. Covell, Jr. 2005.

3.	Les Guides des Papillons du Quebec Louis Handfield. 1999. Broquet.

Contributed by Cotinis on 31 January, 2006 - 4:51am
Additional contributions by Mike Boone, Robin McLeod, marcie oconnor
Last updated 7 July, 2021 - 6:07pm

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