![]() ![]() It is often not possible to discern all of the stigmata on all specimens or species. Crossbands or crosslines may be present, oriented longitudinally from the leading to the trailing edge of the wing. Larva: Commonly green or brown some species present bright colors, such as the camphorweed cucullia moth ( Cucullia alfarata). Most are pudgy and smooth with rounded short heads and few setae, but there are some exceptions in some subfamilies (e.g. Pupa: The pupae most often range from shiny brown to dark brown. When they newly pupate they are bright brownish orange, but after a few days start to get darker.Įggs: Vary in colors, but all have a spherical shape. The word Noctuidae is derived from the name of the type genus Noctua, which is the Latin name for the little owl, and the patronymic suffix -idae used typically to form taxonomic family names in animals. The common name " owlet" originally means a small or young owl. The names "armyworms" and "cutworms" are based on the behavior of the larvae of this group, which can occur in destructive swarms and cut the stems of plants. The eight-spotted forester moth ( Alypia octomaculata) puddling on water from a leaf of firebush ( Croton lucidus). Herbivory: Caterpillars of most Noctuidae feed on plants some feed on poisonous plants and are unaffected by their chemical defences for example, the splendid brocade moth ( Lacanobia splendens) feeds on cowbane ( Cicuta virosa), a plant that is notoriously toxic to vertebrates. Predation and cannibalism: During the larval stage, some cutworms readily feed on other insects. ![]() One such species is the shivering pinion ( Lithophane querquera), whose larvae commonly feed on other lepidopteran larvae. Moreover, many noctuid larvae, such as those of the fall armyworm ( Spodoptera frugiperda) and of genera such as Heliothis and Helicoverpa, aggressively eat their siblings and often other species of caterpillar. Nectarivory and puddling: Like many Lepidoptera, many species of adult Noctuidae visit flowers for their nectar. They also seek other liquid food resources such as plant juices, honeydew, dung, urea and mud, among others. Īs is common in members of the order Lepidoptera, courtship in many Noctuidae includes a set of movements in which the female evaluates the male's reproductive fitness. Most noctuid moths produce pheromones that attract the opposite gender. The Spanish moth feeding on Amaryllis sp.įemale pheromones that attract males occur widely and have long been studied, but the study of male pheromones has further to go. ![]()
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