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National Moth Week was July 19-27, and the Summer 2025 gathering in Louisiana, July 19-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2024

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Species Mesapamea fractilinea - Broken-lined Brocade - Hodges#9406

Representative Images

unknown moth - Mesapamea fractilinea Oligia fractilinea - Mesapamea fractilinea unk. moth - Mesapamea fractilinea Noctuidae: Mesapamea fractilinea - Mesapamea fractilinea Mesapamea fractilinea Mesapamea fractilinea - female Broken-lined Brocade - Mesapamea fractilinea Mesapamea fractilinea
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 Apameini
Genus Mesapamea
Species fractilinea (Broken-lined Brocade - Hodges#9406)

Hodges Number

9406

Other Common Names

Lined Stalk-Borer (larva)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Hadena vulgivaga and four other synonyms
Oligia fractilinea

Explanation of Names

Author: Grote, 1874

Numbers

2 subspecies (O. f. albescens; O. f. fractilinea)

Size

wingspan 26-33 mm, based on two Internet photos

Identification

Adult: forewing usually dark brown to blackish along costa, upper median area, and outer margin, and pale brown to yellowish in remaining areas; reniform spot white with black mottling; terminal line with several pale dots; hindwing brownish-gray with yellowish fringe
Genitalia:

Range

New Brunswick to Florida, west to Arizona and Utah, north to Alberta; type specimen collected in Nebraska

Season

adults fly from July to September (1)
larvae in late spring and early summer

Food

larvae feed on timothy (Phleum spp.) and are sometimes a pest on corn plants

Life Cycle

one generation per year

See Also

Black-banded Brocade (Oligia modica) forewing has sharper and more distinct markings, and a dark wedge-shaped patch between reniform and orbicular spots (compare images of both species at CBIF)

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group
BOLD
Pacific Northwest Moths
pinned adult image (Bruce Walsh, Moths of Southeastern Arizona)

Works Cited

1.Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America
Charles V. Covell, Jr. 2005.
Contributed by Robin McLeod on 5 November, 2006 - 2:01pm
Additional contributions by john and jane balaban, marcie oconnor, Robert H. Biagi, Steve Morris
Last updated 17 November, 2023 - 9:38am

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