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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Owlet Moths and kin (Noctuoidea) » Erebidae » Erebinae » Melipotini » Litocala » Litocala Moth - Hodges#8597 (Litocala sexsignata)

Species Litocala sexsignata - Litocala Moth - Hodges#8597

Classification · Hodges Number · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Season · Food · Life Cycle · See Also · Internet References · Works Cited
unk. butterfly - Litocala sexsignata Mudpuddling Moth (Not a Skipper) - Litocala sexsignata Lesser Underwing moth ? - Litocala sexsignata Litocala Moth - Litocala sexsignata Moth on willow flower - Litocala sexsignata Moth ~18mm to wingtip - Litocala sexsignata Moth ~20mm to wingtip - Litocala sexsignata Litocala sexsignata
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 Erebidae
Subfamily Erebinae
Tribe Melipotini
Genus Litocala
Species sexsignata (Litocala Moth - Hodges#8597)
Hodges Number
8597
Explanation of Names
SEXSIGNATA: "six-spotted"; refers to the six white spots on the hindwings (three spots on each wing)
Numbers
The only species in this genus in North America listed at All-Leps;
common to abundant in some areas; uncommon in others.
Size
Forewing length 13 - 15 mm(1)
Identification
Adult - forewing dark gray with oblique whitish or silvery AM band and reniform spot; hindwing black with three large white spots forming triangle in median area; fringe silvery white, broken by black near midpoint

Larvae - gray with a sinuous black stripe along each side. White subspiracular stripe margined ventrally with purple. Spiracles are dark brown. The head is pale with black reticulation and pale lines (1)
Range
Washington, Montana, Utah, and Colorado south to southern California, New Mexico and west Texas (MPG)(1)
Season
Adults fly in March to June(1).
Food
Larvae feed on leaves of oak, or chinquapin, and possibly manzanita (1).
Life Cycle
Adults are strictly diurnal and have small eyes; often seen nectaring at flowers or sipping moisture in muddy areas(1).
See Also
Heteranassa mima shows less contrast on forewing and has a mostly white hindwing.
Internet References
(ALL of the links below are broken--need to be researched and updated)
pinned adult image plus technical info (California Dept. of Food and Agriculture)
pinned adult images plus foodplant and status in Arizona (U. of Arizona)
presence in Washington; PDF doc list plus status and foodplant (Govt. of State of Washington)
presence in Oregon; list (Oregon State U.)
Works Cited
1.Moths of Western North America
Powell and Opler. 2009. UC Press.
Contributed by Robin McLeod on 1 May, 2006 - 6:26pm
Additional contributions by David Ferguson, Chuck Sexton, Randy Hardy, metrioptera
Last updated 15 June, 2018 - 11:49pm

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