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Cucullia basipuncta (Barnes and McDunnough, 1918) |
Hooded Owlet Moth |
MONA# 10207 |
Family: Noctuidae
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Attributes in General |
Classification
KINGDOM: Animalia
PHYLUM: Arthropoda
CLASS: Insecta
ORDER: Lepidoptera
SUPERFAMILY: Noctuoidea
FAMILY: Noctuidae
SUBFAMILY: Cuculliinae
Cucullia basipuncta
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General Species Description
| ADULT IDENTIFICATION & WINGSPAN: wing length: mean=15.75mm |
| ADULT FOOD: |
| SPECIES RANGE: southern California from the Mexican border throughout the Mohave region, as far north as Inyo County. Common in southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. Also scattered localities from southeastern Oregon, southcentral Utah, southcentral Arizona, and central New Mexico. |
| ADULT FLIGHT TIME: March to May |
| HABITAT: Mohave Desert |
| LARVAL IDENTIFICATION & LENGTH: |
| LARVAL HOST: larvae were once reared on Stephanomeria runcinata by Comstock and Henne (1943) but no documentation available which indicates Stephanomeria as actual host in habitat. |
| LARVAL EMERGENCE (TIME/SEASON): |
| References: |
- Poole, R.W. 1995. Noctuoidea. Noctuidae (Part), Cuculliinae, Stiriinae, Psaphidinae (Part). The Moths of America North of Mexico. Fascicle 26.1. Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, Washington, DC.
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FIELD NOTES for Cucullia basipuncta: |
| Coll. Date (mm/dd/yyyy) |
| 04/17/2011 |
| 04/14/2012 - 04/30/2012 |
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| Locality & GPS coords |
| Yuma County, AZ (nr. Wellton, AZ) - 4/17/2011 |
| Yuma County, AZ (north along 95) - 4/17/2012 |
| Pima County, AZ (east of Green Valley) - 4/28/12 |
| Pima County, AZ (White House Canyon Rd w/ D. Wagner)-4/30/2012 |
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| Elevation (ft) |
| 430' - Yuma County, AZ |
| 3800' - Pima County, AZ |
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| Habitat |
| sand dunes and desert dry washes of Sonoran Desert |
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| Host Plant |
| Stephanomeria sp. (Wirelettuce) |
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| Collector(s) |
| Jennifer Bundy (4/17/2011; 4/28/2012) |
| Jennifer Bundy, D. Wagner (4 30/2012) |
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Field observations:
| Larvae |
Yuma Co., AZ: species found on Stephanomeria in sand dune habitat (4/17/ 2011) and along desert dry washes (4/14/2012). Species sharing host with Schinia scarlatina, east of Gila Mts and north along Hwy 95. |
| Larvae |
Pima Co., AZ: larvae detected by observing feeding damage on roadside Stephanomeria (4/28/2012), east of Green Valley, Pima, AZ. |
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returning to habitat w/ Dave Wagner (4/30/2012), we located more larvae in desert below Florida Cyn where both green and pink color morphs were observed. Larvae feeding on host with Schinia scarlatina. |
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| Ecology Notes:
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| HABITAT |
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| Dry wash, Yuma County, AZ |
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| HOST |
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| Wire lettuce (Stephanomeria) |
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REARING / LAB NOTES Cucullia basipuncta: |
| Voucher No. |
085JLB2012; 087JLB2012 |
| Found as |
Ultimate instar (Yuma Co., AZ); several stages (Pima Co., AZ) |
| Food plant used |
host plant cuttings from field |
| Voucher fate |
| 2011- ETOH |
| 2012 - currently rearing |
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| Number of days (1st-Ultimate instar) |
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| Number of days (prepupa) |
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| Number of days (pupa to eclosion) |
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Morphology Notes:
| Ovum: |
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| Larvae: |
Pima County, AZ - larvae have two colors, green and pink |
| Pupa: |
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| Cocoon: |
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| Adult: |
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Behavior notes:
| Ovum: |
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| Larvae: |
larvae burrow under soil to pupate |
| Pupa: |
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| Cocoon: |
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| Adult: |
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Parasitoids:
| Para. lep voucher: |
Yes (Yuma Co. specimen, 2011) |
| Para. species: |
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| Para. voucher #: |
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| Ultimate instar |
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| Ultimate stage larva on host, color morph: Green |
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| Ultimate instar |
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| Ultimate stage larva on host, color morph: Pink |
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| Head |
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| Head shot of ultimate stage larva, pink morp |
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