Panthea acronyctoides
Encyclopedia
The Black Zigzag or Tufted Spruce Caterpillar (Panthea acronyctoides) is a species of moth
of the Noctuidae
family. It is found in from Newfoundland
to British Columbia
and adjacent northern states, south in the west to Colorado
, south in the east to New England
and Kentucky
.
The wingspan
is 30–35 mm. The moth flies from May to August depending on the location.
The larvae feed on Balsam Fir, Eastern Hemlock, Eastern Larch, Pines, and Spruces.
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 Noctuidae
Noctuidae
The Noctuidae or owlet moths are a family of robustly-built moths that includes more than 35,000 known species out of possibly 100,000 total, in more than 4,200 genera. They constitute the largest family in the Lepidoptera....
family. It is found in from Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
to British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and adjacent northern states, south in the west to 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...
, south in the east to New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
.
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 30–35 mm. The moth flies from May to August depending on the location.
The larvae feed on Balsam Fir, Eastern Hemlock, Eastern Larch, Pines, and Spruces.
Subspecies
There are two recognised subspecies:- Panthea acronyctoides acronyctoides
- Panthea acronyctoides nigra