Psammopolia arietis
Encyclopedia
Psammopolia arietis is a moth
of the Noctuidae
family. It occurs on Pacific Coast sand beaches from Mendocino
, California
to south-western Alaska
. It is absent from the inland Strait of Georgia
.
Adults are on wing from late July to early September.
The larvae live in sand dunes and feed on Lathyrus littoralis
, Polygonum paronychia
, Abronia latifolia
and an unspecified grass.
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 occurs on Pacific Coast sand beaches from Mendocino
Mendocino, California
Mendocino is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California, United States. Mendocino is located south of Fort Bragg, at an elevation of 154 feet...
, 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...
to south-western Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. It is absent from the inland Strait of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
Adults are on wing from late July to early September.
The larvae live in sand dunes and feed on Lathyrus littoralis
Lathyrus littoralis
Lathyrus littoralis is a species of wild pea known by the common name silky beach pea. It is native to the coastline of western North America from British Columbia to California. It is a resident of beaches and dunes....
, Polygonum paronychia
Polygonum paronychia
Polygonum paronychia is a species of flowering plant in the knotweed family known by the common names dune knotweed, black knotweed, and beach knotweed...
, Abronia latifolia
Abronia latifolia
The perennial flower Abronia latifolia is a species of sand-verbena known commonly as the coastal, or yellow sand-verbena. It is native to the west coast of North America, from southern California to the Canadian border....
and an unspecified grass.