Schinia obliqua

Smith, 1883

Schinia obliqua is a small noctuid in the Heliothinae, first described by Smith in 1883. The is native to western North America, with confirmed records from California to Colorado and western Texas. are active from July through September. The wingspan measures approximately 23 mm. Schinia unimacula was synonymized with this species in 1996 but later resurrected as a separate species in 2003, though some taxonomic uncertainty may persist.

CATALOGUE-BM-LVI by Sir GEORGE F. HAMPSON, Bart.. Used under a Public domain license.

Schinia obliqua by Unspecified. Used under a Copyrighted free use license.

Flower Moth (37133188305) by Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Schinia obliqua: //ˈskiː.ni.ə oʊˈbliː.kwə//

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Identification

Distinguished from by geographic range and period, though precise diagnostic features are not specified in available literature. The name 'obliqua' refers to an oblique marking, likely on the forewing. Separation from the closely related Schinia unimacula, with which it was formerly synonymized, requires examination of subtle morphological differences not detailed in general sources.

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Distribution

North America: California, Colorado, and western Texas. Distribution records indicate presence in western United States, though precise associations are not documented.

Seasonality

fly July through September.

Similar Taxa

Schinia unimaculaFormerly synonymized with S. obliqua in 1996 by Hardwick, then resurrected as distinct in 2003 by Pogue and Harp. The two species are closely related and may require careful examination to distinguish.
Other Schinia speciesThe contains over 123 in North America north of Mexico, many with similar small size and flower-associated habits. Many Schinia species are brightly colored and rest on flowers of their plants.

More Details

Taxonomic History

The has undergone taxonomic revision regarding its relationship with Schinia unimacula. Hardwick (1996) synonymized the two species, but Pogue and Harp (2003) resurrected S. unimacula as distinct, suggesting that identifications of specimens from this complex should be treated with caution.

Genus Context

Schinia is a large of small, often colorful noctuid . Many in the genus are and visit flowers for nectar, though not all species share this trait.