Stephens' gem or the bilobed looper (''Megalographa biloba'') 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 ...
. It is widely distributed from the southern parts of the
United States, south through
Central America and
South America to
Argentina. As a
seasonal migrant it occurs even farther north into the northern parts of the United States and southern
Canada. Here it usually produces one or two generations each summer, but rarely survives the winter this far north. It also occurs in the
Hawaiian Islands but it is unknown if the species occurs there naturally or was introduced. It has also been recorded in
Great Britain, where it is either a rare migrant or introduced by travel on ships crossing the Atlantic.
The
wingspan is 38–44 mm.
It is sometimes considered a pest on cultivated
lettuce.
External links
A review of the genus Megalographa Lafontaine and Poole (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Plusiinae) with the description of a new species from Costa RicaUKmoths
Plusiinae
Moths described in 1830
Moths of Europe
Moths of North America
Noctuidae of South America
Taxa named by James Francis Stephens
{{Plusiinae-stub