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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Owlet Moths and kin (Noctuoidea) » Owlet Moths (Noctuidae) » Looper Moths (Plusiinae) » Plusiini » Euchalciina » Allagrapha » Unspotted Looper Moth - Hodges#8898 (Allagrapha aerea)

Species Allagrapha aerea - Unspotted Looper Moth - Hodges#8898

Classification · Hodges Number · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Unspotted Looper Moth - Allagrapha aerea Papaipema inquaesita? - Allagrapha aerea Unspotted Looper Moth - Hodges#8898 - Allagrapha aerea unspotted looper? Pls. see comments - Allagrapha aerea unspotted looper? Pls. see comments - Allagrapha aerea Unspotted Looper Moth - Hodges#8898 - Allagrapha aerea Unspotted Looper Moth - Allagrapha aerea Allagrapha aerea - Unspotted Looper Moth - Hodges#8898? - Allagrapha aerea
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 Plusiinae (Looper Moths)
Tribe Plusiini
Subtribe Euchalciina
Genus Allagrapha
Species aerea (Unspotted Looper Moth - Hodges#8898)
Hodges Number
8898
Other Common Names
Copper Looper Moth
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Allagrapha aerea Hubner, [1803])
Noctua aerea Hubner, [1803]
Phytometra aerea
Autographa aerea
Agrapha aerea
* phylogenetic sequence #931177
Size
forewing length 15-19 mm (Pogue, 2005)(1)
Identification
Adults - dull brown, "forewing hooked at anal angle." (2) Forewing has curved or wavy lines and is unspotted (no distinct orbicular or reniform spot). Resembles loopers such as Autographa, but has no white marks (stigmas) on wings.
Range
Southern Onterio to the panhandle of Florida, west to western Nebraska (Pogue, 2005).(1)
Habitat
Fields, areas with hostplant; adults are nocturnal and come to light.
Season
Adults fly from April to September (2 broods) or to October in the south (Covell, 1984).(3)
Food
Larvae feed on plants in the aster family (Asteraceae) and other forbs (non-grass herbaceous plants) such as Soybean (Glycine max) and Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica).
Life Cycle
Life cycle images:
larva, adult
See Also
Dark-spotted Looper (Diachrysia aereoides) forewing has almost straight AM and PM lines, distinct reniform and orbicular spots, and paler yellowish-brown color (compare images of both species at CBIF)
Print References
Covell Jr., C. V. 1984. A field guide to the moths of eastern North America, p.156, pl.32 #7 (3)
Eichlin, T. D. & H. B. Cunningham 1978. The Plusiinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of America north of Mexico, emphasizing genitalic and larval morphology. USDA Tech. Bulletin 1567: 1-122 (PDF)(4)
Lafontaine, J. D. & R. W. Poole 1991. Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 25.1: p.59; pl.1.23-24
Pogue, M. G. 2005. The Plusiinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Zootaxa 1032: 1–28 (PDF)(1)
Internet References
Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility pinned adult image
common name reference [Unspotted Looper] plus larval foodplants and status in Ohio (Ohio State U.)
presence in Florida; list (John Heppner, Florida State Collection of Arthropods)
presence in Texas; list (Dale Clark, Moths of Dallas County, Texas)
distribution in Canada; list of provinces of occurrence (U. of Alberta, using CBIF data)
Works Cited
1.The Plusiinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Michael G, Pogue. 2005. Magnolia Press Zootaxa 1032: 1–28.
2.Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America
Charles V. Covell, Jr. 2005.
3.Peterson Field Guides: Eastern Moths
Charles V. Covell. 1984. Houghton Mifflin Company.
4.The Plusiinae (Lepidoptera:Noctuidae) of America north of Mexico, emphasizing genitalic and larval morphology
Thomas D. Eichlin, Hugh B. Cunningham. 1978. United States Department of Agriculture Technical Bulletin 1567: 1-121.
Contributed by Cotinis on 19 September, 2004 - 8:30pm
Additional contributions by Robin McLeod, MightyMouse, marcie oconnor, Randy Hardy
Last updated 29 December, 2015 - 8:20am

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