Return: HOME >> SPECIES LIST >> WESTERN ARIZONA MOTHS >> SOUTHWEST MOTHS
|
|
Acontia cretata |
Bird Dropping Moth |
MONA# 9161 |
Family:
Noctuidae |
|
|
|
![Acontia cretata](images/larvalStages/Acontiin3.jpg) |
|
ATTRIBUTES IN GENERAL |
Classification
KINGDOM: Animalia
PHYLUM: Arthropoda
CLASS: Insecta
ORDER: Lepidoptera
SUPERFAMILY: Noctuoidae
FAMILY: Noctuidae
SUBFAMILY: Acontiinae
TRIBE:
|
General Species Description
ADULT IDENTIFICATION & WINGSPAN: |
ADULT FOOD: |
SPECIES RANGE: |
ADULT FLIGHT TIME: |
HABITAT: |
LARVAL IDENTIFICATION & LENGTH: |
LARVAL HOST: |
LARVAL EMERGENCE (TIME/SEASON): |
References: |
|
|
![Life History Study](images/Banner4.png) |
FIELD NOTES for Acontia cretata: |
Coll. Dates (mm/dd/yyyy) |
|
Locality & GPS coords |
|
Elevation (ft) |
|
Habitat |
|
Host Plant |
Sphaeralcea ambigua (Globe mallow) |
Family: Malvaceae |
|
Collector(s) |
|
Field observations:
Larvae (March 2012) |
-The desert globe mallow found here in Yuma, AZ is Sphaeralcea ambigua. |
-I collected the species by scanning the branches of each plant. The larvae are extremely cryptic and seem to mimic the flower buds and shapes of its host plant leaves. |
Parasitoids (March '12) |
-I observed a wasp species scanning the host as well. Later, I would discover a few of my larvae were parasitized. The parasitoid larvae were saved and isolated, later to emerge as the same wasp I had observed earlier in the field. |
|
|
|
Ecology Notes:
|
|
HABITAT |
![](images/habitat/YumaWash.jpg) |
Sonoran Desert (Yuma Co., AZ) |
|
|
|
|
HOST |
![](images/hostplants/Apricot.jpg) |
Sphaeralcea ambigua (Globe mallow) |
|
|
|
REARING / LAB NOTES forAcontia cretata: |
Voucher No. |
|
Found as |
|
Food plant used |
cuttings from host plant |
Voucher fate |
eclosion, April 2012 |
*adult specimen borrowed by D. Wagner |
|
Number of days (1st-Ultimate instar) |
|
Number of days (prepupa) |
|
Number of days (pupa to eclosion) |
|
Morphology Notes:
Ovum: |
|
Larvae: |
|
Pupa: |
|
Cocoon: |
|
Adult: |
|
|
Behavior notes:
Ovum: |
|
Larvae: |
Ultimate stage larvae color transiitons from green to red with pink shades during pre-pupal stage. |
Pupa: |
|
Cocoon: |
|
Adult: |
|
|
Parasitoids:
Parasitoids (yes/no) |
Yes |
Para. lep voucher: |
|
Para. species: |
|
Para. voucher #: |
|
|
|
Larva |
![Acontia cretata, Ultimate Stage](images/larvalStages/Acontiin33.jpg) |
Ultimate stage on host (red color the result of pre-pupal stage). Ultimate stage larvae are green, |
|
|
|
Adult |
![]() |
No image *waiting for adult specimen to be returned |
|
|
|
|