Green-patched Looper - Hodges#8897
Diachrysia balluca
This record describes Diachrysia balluca (species). Recorded family: Noctuidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult - forewing with large, highly-metallic rectangular green patch bordering inner margin (may look brown or bronze under certain lighting); basal area and strip along costa light gray; reniform spot brown with pale dot on each side; wing apex pointed. Hindwing uniformly brown with yellow fringe.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)
- Subfamily
- Plusiinae
- Tribe
- Plusiini
- Genus
- Diachrysia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Nova Scotia to Manitoba; south to Pennsylvania and Minnesota (no specimens seen from Southeastern United States) (Eichlin & Cunningham, 1978). Type location from Georgia and one Florida record from Kimble in 1965 possibly represent strays (Pogue, 2005).
Seasonal Activity
Adults fly from June to September.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae feed on hops ( Humulus lupulus ), trembling aspen ( Populus tremuloides ), wood nettle ( Laportea canadensis ), and raspberry ( Rubus spp.) (E.H. Strickland Museum).
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Diachrysia balluca. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Green-patched Looper - Hodges#8897 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Robin McLeod; Additional contributions by tom murray , Ron M. , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Green-patched Looper - Hodges#8897
What is Green-patched Looper - Hodges#8897?
Green-patched Looper - Hodges#8897 (Diachrysia balluca) is a species in the family Noctuidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Green-patched Looper - Hodges#8897?
Forewing length 20-25 mm (Pogue, 2005)
How do you identify Green-patched Looper - Hodges#8897?
Adult - forewing with large, highly-metallic rectangular green patch bordering inner margin (may look brown or bronze under certain lighting); basal area and strip along costa light gray; reniform spot brown with pale dot on each side; wing apex pointed. Hindwing uniformly brown with yellow fringe.
Where is Green-patched Looper - Hodges#8897 found?
Range: Nova Scotia to Manitoba; south to Pennsylvania and Minnesota (no specimens seen from Southeastern United States) (Eichlin & Cunningham, 1978). Type location from Georgia and one Florida record from Kimble in 1965 possibly represent strays (Pogue, 2005).
What does Green-patched Looper - Hodges#8897 eat?
The diet of the Green-patched Looper - Hodges#8897 includes Larvae feed on hops ( Humulus lupulus ), trembling aspen ( Populus tremuloides ), wood nettle ( Laportea canadensis ), and raspberry ( Rubus spp.) (E.H. Strickland Museum)..
When is Green-patched Looper - Hodges#8897 active?
Green-patched Looper - Hodges#8897: seasonal activity - Adults fly from June to September..