BILOBED LOOPER
Megalographa biloba
OWLET MOTH FAMILY (Noctuidae)
Description
The Bilobed Looper has a wingspan of about 1 3/8 inches. The brown forewing has bronze shading in the median area. The large white bilobed stigma covers most of the central median area. The AM and PM lines and the partial reniform spot are silver. The hindwing is grayish brown. The larva is green with a powdery white dusting dorsally. The head is green with a thick black stripe through the eye. There is a thin, wavy spiracular stripe on the abdomen. It grows to 1 3/8 inch long.
Occurrence
The frequency of occurrence of this moth in Fontenelle Forest and NealeWoods is not known. It has been seen in late April in Child's Hollow, Fontenelle Forest nectaring on Virginia Waterleaf flowers.
Comments
The larval host plants include alfalfa, cabbage, clover, dandelion, larkspur, lettuce and plantain. It is the only species in its genus in North America as this is a largely tropical genus. It winters in the southern United States and migrates to northern states in spring. The scientific name of this moth was formerly Autographa biloba.
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is: Babs Padelford.
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