Great Brocade - Hodges#10929
Eurois occulta
This record describes Eurois occulta (species). Recorded family: Noctuidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult: forewing mottled gray or grayish-brown and black with large white diagonal orbicular spot (occasionally filled with gray); AM and PM lines double, whitish, scalloped; reniform spot dark gray in center, whitish around perimeter; claviform spot conical; subterminal area dark gray with wavy or jagged ST line; terminal area light gray; fringe checkered with blackish triangles or semicircles between veins hindwing brownish-gray, with darker shading distally, indistinct discal lunule, and pure white fringe Larva: head creamy yellow with dark reticulation and prominent black middorsal and subdorsal stripes; body yellowish-brown with pair of prominent black triangular markings on dorsum of abdominal segments 7-8; spiracular stripe thin yellow with broad cream-colored subspiracular stripe below [adapted from text at Canadian Forest Service] The moth that ate Greenland - short article on the Vikings' introduction of E. occulta to Greenland
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)
- Subfamily
- Noctuinae
- Tribe
- Noctuini
- Genus
- Eurois
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
bogs in northern coniferous forests; city gardens in Federicton NB
Geographic Range
In North America: Greenland, Alaska, every province and territory of Canada, and south to New Jersey and Colorado (see US distribution map ) In Eurasia: all of Europe and across Siberia to China and Japan ( Pacific Forestry Centre )
Seasonal Activity
adults fly from June or July to September larvae from April to June
Diet and Behavior
Diet: larvae feed on leaves of birch, blueberry, cedar, Meadowsweet ( Spiraea latifolia ), snowberry ( Symphoricarpos spp.), Sweet Gale ( Myrica gale ), tamarack, willow
Life History
one generation per year; overwintering larvae become active in April, feeding until pupation occurs in June or July; adults emerge and lay eggs in late summer; eggs hatch in fall, and partially-grown larva overwinters
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Eurois occulta. 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 Great Brocade - Hodges#10929 (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Robin McLeod; Additional contributions by Tony-2 , marcie oconnor , Blocky , Steve Morris
Frequently Asked Questions About Great Brocade - Hodges#10929
What is Great Brocade - Hodges#10929?
Great Brocade - Hodges#10929 (Eurois occulta) is a species in the family Noctuidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Great Brocade - Hodges#10929?
wingspan 32-60 mm larva length to 35 mm
How do you identify Great Brocade - Hodges#10929?
Adult: forewing mottled gray or grayish-brown and black with large white diagonal orbicular spot (occasionally filled with gray); AM and PM lines double, whitish, scalloped; reniform spot dark gray in center, whitish around perimeter; claviform spot conical; subterminal area dark gray with wavy or jagged ST line; terminal area light gray; fringe checkered with blackish triangles or semicircles between veins hindwing brownish-gray, with darker shading distally, indistinct discal lunule, and pure white fringe Larva: head creamy yellow with dark reticulation and prominent black middorsal and subdorsal stripes; body yellowish-brown with pair of prominent black triangular markings on dorsum of abdominal segments 7-8; spiracular stripe thin yellow with broad cream-colored subspiracular stripe below [adapted from text at Canadian Forest Service]
Where is Great Brocade - Hodges#10929 found?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Habitat | bogs in northern coniferous forests; city gardens in Federicton NB |
| Range | In North America: Greenland, Alaska, every province and territory of Canada, and south to New Jersey and Colorado (see US distribution map ) In Eurasia: all of Europe and across Siberia to China and Japan ( Pacific Forestry Centre ) |
What does Great Brocade - Hodges#10929 eat?
The diet of the Great Brocade - Hodges#10929 includes larvae feed on leaves of birch, blueberry, cedar, Meadowsweet ( Spiraea latifolia ), snowberry ( Symphoricarpos spp.), Sweet Gale ( Myrica gale ), tamarack, willow.
When is Great Brocade - Hodges#10929 active?
Great Brocade - Hodges#10929: seasonal activity - adults fly from June or July to September larvae from April to June.
What is the life cycle of a Great Brocade - Hodges#10929?
one generation per year; overwintering larvae become active in April, feeding until pupation occurs in June or July; adults emerge and lay eggs in late summer; eggs hatch in fall, and partially-grown larva overwinters