Oligocentria semirufescens
Encyclopedia
The Red-washed Prominent Moth or Rusty Prominent (Oligocentria semirufescens) is a moth
of the Notodontidae
family. It is found from Nova Scotia
west to Vancouver Island
, south to Florida
, Colorado
and central California
.
Western populations of semirufescens are paler and greyer than those from eastern Canada, and superficially resemble the southern Oligocentria perangulata.
The wingspan
is 30-45 mm. Adults are on wing from May to September, but from June through early August in Alberta.
The larvae feed on various trees and shrubs, including apple, beech, birch, poplar, oak, maple, rose and willow.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Notodontidae
Notodontidae
Notodontidae is a family of moths with approximately 3,500 known species. Moths of this family are found in all parts of the world, but they are most concentrated in tropical areas, especially in the New World...
family. It is found from Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
west to Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
, south to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and central California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Western populations of semirufescens are paler and greyer than those from eastern Canada, and superficially resemble the southern Oligocentria perangulata.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 30-45 mm. Adults are on wing from May to September, but from June through early August in Alberta.
The larvae feed on various trees and shrubs, including apple, beech, birch, poplar, oak, maple, rose and willow.