Species Euxoa tessellata - Tessellate Dart - Hodges#10805

10805

Striped Cutworm (larva)

tessellate means "laid out in a mosaic pattern of small square blocks"; perhaps refers to the alternating dark-and-light pattern of the orbicular and reniform spots and adjacent areas

wingspan 30-38 mm

Adult: forewing medium to dark grayish-brown, often with reddish or purplish tint; orbicular and reniform spots prominent, pale gray or yellowish; black triangular patch proximal to orbicular spot, and black rectangular patch between orbicular and reniform spots; claviform spot usually absent; AM line double, indistinct; black basal dash usually present; small tuft of scales at base of costa yellow in male, white in female; subterminal line pale, faint, broken; terminal area slightly darker gray; hindwing dirty white to light brown with dark veins, costa, and outer margin

the most widespread species of Euxoa in North America: Newfoundland to Alaska, south in the west to California(1), Arizona, New Mexico, south in the east to Florida(2) (apparently absent from Texas and adjacent eastern states)

agricultural fields, gardens, orhards, shrubby areas

adults fly from June to September

larvae feed on tobacco, various garden crops, and leaves of apple, cherry, pear

several other species of Euxoa are similar but lack one or more of the features listed under Identification above

Lafontaine, J.D., 1987. The Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 27.2. The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation. p. 87; pl. 4.17-28. (3)

Pacific Northwest Moths (4)

Moth Photographers Group (5)

The Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) (6)