''Aseptis fumosa'' is a
moth of the family
Noctuidae
The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. They are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because many of the clades are constantly changing, along with the other f ...
first described by
Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1879. It is widespread in western North America and is known from western
Canada,
Washington,
Nebraska,
Colorado,
Utah,
Arizona,
Nevada and
California. It occurs in a variety of diverse habitats including coast chaparral, dry conifer forest, and shrub steppe.
The
wingspan is about 31.5–38 mm. The forewings are uniform smoky dark blackish brown with brown filling of the antemedial and postmedial lines that is most evident as dots on the costa. The weakly figure-eight shaped reniform spot, orbicular spot, and short claviform spot are black filled with ground color or slightly darker scales. The male hindwing is pearly gray distal to the spot that accentuates the vein asymmetry. The hindwing of the female is smoky dark with dark but less conspicuous veins. Adults are on wing from April or May to July.
The larvae feed on ''
Purshia
''Purshia'' (bitterbrush or cliff-rose) is a small genus of 5–8 species of flowering plants in the family Rosaceae which are native to western North America.
Description
''Purshia'' species form deciduous or evergreen shrubs, typically reach ...
'' (including ''
Purshia tridentata
''Purshia tridentata'', with the common name bitterbrush, is a shrub in the genus '' Purshia'' of the family Rosaceae. It is native to mountainous areas of western North America.
Common names include antelope bitterbrush, antelope bush, buc ...
''), ''
Cercocarpus
''Cercocarpus'', commonly known as mountain mahogany, is a small genus of at least nine species of nitrogen-fixing flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae. They are native to the western United States and northern Mexico, where they grow i ...
'' and ''
Ceanothus
''Ceanothus'' is a genus of about 50–60 species of Actinorhizal plant, nitrogen-fixing shrubs and small trees in the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae). Common names for members of this genus are buckbrush, California lilac, soap bush, or just ceano ...
'' (including ''
Ceanothus integerrimus
''Ceanothus integerrimus'', known by the common name deer brush, is a species of woody shrub in the family Rhamnaceae, native to the western United States in Arizona, New Mexico, California, Oregon, and Washington. It grows in montane chaparral ...
'') species, as well as ''
Adenostoma fasciculatum''. The larva is smooth green with a white subdorsal stripe and broad red and white lateral stripe.
References
External links
''Caterpillars of Pacific Northwest Forests and Woodlands''*
*
Moths of North America
Moths described in 1879
Aseptis
{{Noctuinae-stub