Euscirrhopterus

Grote, 1866

purslane moth

Euscirrhopterus is a of in the , Agaristinae. The genus contains six described distributed in North America, with the best-known being Euscirrhopterus gloveri, commonly called the purslane moth. of E. gloveri feed on plants in the portulacaceous family, particularly Portulaca species. are and attracted to light. Some species exhibit a startle defense , flashing brightly colored when disturbed.

One false move... - Flickr - treegrow by Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.Staghorn Cholla Moth Caterpillar Getting Ready to Pupate - Flickr - treegrow by Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.Staghorn Cholla Moth (37862378872) by Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Euscirrhopterus: //juːˌskɪrəpˈtɛrəs//

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Images

Distribution

North America, including the southwestern United States and Mexico.

Behavior

Some have been observed using a startle defense tactic, flashing brightly colored normally concealed at rest to startle before taking .

Similar Taxa

  • Drasteria mirificaAnother that exhibits similar startle defense with concealed bright .

Tags

Sources and further reading