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Schinia luxa (Grote, 1881) |
Flower Moth |
MONA# 11203 |
Family: Noctuidae
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![Schinia luxa](images/larvalStages/SLuxa5th1.jpg) |
Attributes in General |
Classification
KINGDOM: Animalia
PHYLUM: Arthropoda
CLASS: Insecta
ORDER: Lepidoptera
SUPERFAMILY: Noctuoidae
FAMILY: Noctuidae
SUBFAMILY: Heliothinae
Schinia luxa
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General Species Description
ADULT IDENTIFICATION & WINGSPAN: |
ADULT FOOD: |
SPECIES RANGE: |
ADULT FLIGHT TIME: |
HABITAT: |
LARVAL IDENTIFICATION & LENGTH: |
LARVAL HOST: |
LARVAL EMERGENCE (TIME/SEASON): |
References: |
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![](images/Banner4.png) |
FIELD NOTES: |
Coll. Date (mm/dd/yyyy) |
November 2008 (Yuma, AZ)
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July 2010 (Brown Cyn, AZ) |
August 2010 (Portal, AZ) |
August 2011 - (Copper Cyn, AZ) reared from ova to adult |
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Locality & GPS coords |
Yuma, Yuma Co., AZ (adult) |
Brown Canyon, Pima Co., AZ (ova coll.) |
Portal, Cochise Co., AZ (ova coll.) |
Copper Canyon, Cochise Co., AZ (ova coll.) |
Madera Canyon, Pima Co., AZ (ova coll.) |
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Elevation (ft) |
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Habitat |
from Lower Colorado Desert on up to Arizona Uplands |
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Host Plant |
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Collector(s) |
Jennifer Bundy |
Field observations:
July 2010 |
- Collecting gravid females from field, I had no problems getting the female to post ova in a vial, therefore I do not believe species posts ova within a flower bud. Ovum texture suggests that egg is posted outside of flower. |
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- per internet resources, the species is suppose to feed on Mentzelia, however the 1st instar larvae rejected several species of Mentzelia to include species found in habitat. I located several different Mentzelia species - from Yuma, AZ to Portal, AZ- but larvae rejected all plants. |
August 2011 |
- tried Croton during summer 2011 with no success. |
August 2011 |
- successfully reared larvae, from ovum to adult. |
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Ecology Notes:
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HABITAT |
![](images/habitat/CopperCanyon012.jpg) |
Habitat details |
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HOST |
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REARING / LAB NOTES: |
Voucher No. |
00000 |
Found as |
ova taken from gravid female |
Food plant used |
larvae feed on snap peas with no problem, from 1st instar to ultimate stage. |
Voucher fate |
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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) |
(eclosion date: Sept 2011, Yuma, AZ) |
Morphology Notes:
Ovum: |
Texture and shape of S. luxa ova similar to Schinia species that post eggs externally. |
Larvae: |
- Brown color morph. Ultimate instar, from same egg clutch and reared on snap peas
![](images/larvalStages/SLuxa5th2.jpg)
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Pupa: |
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Cocoon: |
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Adult: |
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Behavior notes:
Ovum: |
Adult does not need host to post ova, therefore ova are not inserted into host during ovipostion. |
Larvae: |
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Pupa: |
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Cocoon: |
none |
Adult: |
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Parasitoids:
Para. lep voucher: |
N/A |
Para. species: |
none observed |
Para. voucher #: |
N/A |
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Ova |
![](images/larvalStages/SLuxaOva.jpg) |
ova, developed |
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1st instar |
![](images/larvalStages/SLuxa1st.jpg) |
1st instar newly emerged |
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2nd instar |
![](images/larvalStages/SLuxa2nd.jpg) |
2nd instar, mature |
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3rd instar |
![](images/larvalStages/SLuxa3rd.jpg) |
3rd instar |
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4th instar |
![](images/larvalStages/SLuxa4th.jpg) |
4th instar feeding |
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5th instar |
![](images/larvalStages/SLuxa5th.jpg) |
5th instar showing brilliant colors |
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