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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Owlet Moths and kin (Noctuoidea) » Owlet Moths (Noctuidae) » Cutworm or Dart Moths (Noctuinae) » Arzamini » Bellura » Pickerelweed Borer Moth - Hodges#9526 (Bellura densa)

Species Bellura densa - Pickerelweed Borer Moth - Hodges#9526

Representative Images

Pickerelweed Borer - Bellura densa Pickerelweed Borer - Bellura densa Pickerelweed Borer Moth - Hodges #9526 - Bellura densa Pickerelweed Borer Moth - Bellura densa Bellura densa Bellura densa Florida Moth - Bellura densa Bellura densa
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 Noctuinae (Cutworm or Dart Moths)
Tribe Arzamini
Genus Bellura
Species densa (Pickerelweed Borer Moth - Hodges#9526)

Hodges Number

9526

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Bellura densa, (Walker, 1865)
Arzama densa Walker, 1865
* phylogenetic sequence # 932518

Numbers

one of six species in the genus for North America north of Mexico.(1)

Size

Wingspan 3.5-5 cm
TL≈19-26mm (2)

Identification

Brown/tan forewings. Reniform spot partly filled with orange.

Range

Southeastern United States: Maryland to southern Florida, west to Indiana, Louisiana.

Habitat

Near wetlands, esp. marshes with hostplants.

Season

June-August (2 broods in south)

Food

Food of adults not known--may not feed, like many Noctuids

Life Cycle

Larvae feed on cattails, pickerelweed, water hyacinth, all wetland plants. Early instars feed on surface, later burrow into leaves or into rhizomes. Pupa is naked.

See Also

Bellura obliqua

Print References

Covell, page 128, plate 28 #20 (3)
Lafontaine JD, Schmidt BC (2010) Annotated check list of the Noctuoidea (Insecta, Lepidoptera) of North America North of Mexico. (1)
Walker, 1865: 645 (4)

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group - range map, photos of living and pinned adults.
BOLD - Barcode of Life Data Systems - species account with collection map and photos of pinned adults.
Moth Photographers Group - photograph of pinned adult and related species for comparison.
Insect Images
Canadian Biodiversity

Works Cited

1.Annotated check list of the Noctuoidea (Insecta, Lepidoptera) of North America north of Mexico.
Donald J. Lafontaine, B. Christian Schmidt. 2010. ZooKeys 40: 1–239 .
2.Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America
David Beadle and Seabrooke Leckie. 2012. Houghton Mifflin.
3.Peterson Field Guides: Eastern Moths
Charles V. Covell. 1984. Houghton Mifflin Company.
4.List of the specimens of lepidopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. Part XXXI - Supplement. Part 1.
Francis Walker. 1865. British Museum (Natural History), p.1-321.
Contributed by Cotinis on 18 September, 2004 - 10:12pm
Additional contributions by Steve Nanz, Maury Heiman, Robert Lord Zimlich, Randy Hardy, Steve Morris
Last updated 11 July, 2023 - 2:30pm

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