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Species Cisseps fulvicollis - Yellow-collared Scape Moth - Hodges#8267
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 Erebidae
Subfamily Arctiinae (Tiger and Lichen Moths)
Tribe Arctiini (Tiger Moths)
Subtribe Ctenuchina
Genus Cisseps
Species fulvicollis (Yellow-collared Scape Moth - Hodges#8267)
Other Common Names Orange-collared Scape Moth ( Moths of North Dakota) - a more appropriate name than "Yellow-collared", as the vast majority of individuals have an orange collar Synonyms and other taxonomic changes Scepsis packardii Grote, 1865
Cisseps packardii (Grote, 1865)
Scepsis matthewi H. Edwards, 1873
Scepsis packardii cocklei Dyar, 1904
Cisseps wrightii (Stretch, 1885) Explanation of Names Cisseps fulvicollis (Hübner, [1818]) Identification Adult: FW dark brown or black; collar orange, occasionally yellow; thorax black; abdomen black, sometimes with blue iridescence; antennae pectinate. HW black with large translucent patch in discal area; translucent patch may appear pale grayish, bluish or white, depending on lighting. Often confused with Virginia Ctenucha and Grapeleaf Skeletonizer [see distinguishing features of those species in See Also section below]
Larva: hairy, whitish or pale yellow, with tufts of long hair springing from oval or round spots along body; hairs near head longer, usually blackish and projecting forward beyond front of head; head yellow to brownish-orange with black spots on face; dark dorsal and dorsolateral lines along body (may be obscured by hair)
Habitat Fields with flowers. Adults commonly seen visiting flowers during the day; adults also fly at night, and are attracted to light. Season Adults fly from May to October or first hard frost. Food Larvae feed on grasses, lichens, and spike-rushes (Eleocharis spp.).
Adults take nectar from goldenrod, etc. Life Cycle 1. Eggs, 2. caterpillar, 3. cocoon, 4. pupa (with cocoon removed) 5. Adult, 6. mating pair
Remarks Cisseps fulvicollis and Ctenucha virginica are probably Batesian mimics of wasps or perhaps distasteful beetles.
Many of these moths were shot feeding on Eupatorium spp., a genus rich in pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) which are toxic to most predators.
The most fascinating example of tiger moth usage of PAs is by the Scarlet-bodied Wasp Moth (Cosmosoma myrodora), for details, see:
Conner, W.E , R. Boada, F.C. Schroeder., A. Gonzàlez, J. Meinwald, & T. Eisner. 2001. Chemical defense: bestowal of a nuptial alkaloidal garment by a male moth upon its mate. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 97(26):14406-14411. See Also Adult Grapeleaf Skeletonizer ( Harrisina americana) abdomen is usually curled upwards and expanded at the tip into a fan-shaped, somewhat bilobed caudal tuft
Adult Virginia Ctenucha ( Ctenucha virginica) is larger, has blue iridescence on the thorax, completely black hindwings with no translucent patch, and does not occur in the southeastern United States ( compare images of both species).
Hannah Nendick-Mason summarizes identification of these moths thus: It seems to me the shape of the yellow "collar" is a good distinction. In Ctenucha it is narrower at the nape and then spreads down to the shoulders (excuse ignorance of a better technical term). In Cisseps it goes almost straight across forming a neat line, and in Harrisina the line is blurred.
Compare also the tiny Clemens' False Skeletonizer ( Acoloithus falsarius). Print References Brimley, p. 266-- Cisseps fulvicollis (1)
Comstock, J. A. 1937. Miscellaneous notes on western Lepidoptera. Southern California Acad. Sci. 36(3): 111-114, pl.44-46
Covell, p. 75, plate 11 #12 (2)
Grote, A.R., 1865. Descriptions of North American Lepidoptera - No. 6. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Philadelphia 4: 318.
Himmelman, p. 188, plate C-3, compares Ctenucha and Cisseps (3)
Lafontaine, J. Donald and B. Christian Schmidt. 2015. Additions and corrections to the check list of the Noctuoidea (Insecta, Lepidoptera) of North America north of Mexico III. ZooKeys 527: 127–147 (available here)
Internet References MIACY - John Himmelman, Connecticut Works Cited | 1. | Insects of North Carolina
C.S. Brimley. 1938. North Carolina Department of Agriculture. | |
| 2. | Peterson Field Guides: Eastern Moths
Charles V. Covell. 1984. Houghton Mifflin Company. | |
| 4. | Macromoths of Northwest Forests and Woodlands
Jeffrey Miller, Paul Hammond. 2000. USDA Forest Service, FHTET-98-18. | |
Contributed by Cotinis on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Robin McLeod, Tony-2, Mike Quinn, Maury Heiman, JohnMaxwell22, ceiseman, Robert Lord Zimlich, Randy Hardy, Fyn KyndLast updated 19 August, 2021 - 9:00am |
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