Lasionycta leucocycla
(Staudinger, 1857)
Lasionycta leucocycla is a noctuid with a broad Holarctic distribution spanning Scandinavia, Siberia, and northern North America. are active from June to July and have been observed feeding on nectar from specific flowering plants. The exhibits notable subspecific variation across its range, with multiple described , some of which may represent distinct species.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Lasionycta leucocycla: /læsiˈɒnɪktə luːkəˈsɪklə/
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Identification
The wingspan of 22–28 mm provides a measurable reference for field identification. Distinguishing this from requires reference to the taxonomic revision of Lasionycta (ZooKeys 30, 2009), which includes keys, descriptions, and illustrations of 43 species in the .
Images
Appearance
Wingspan 22–28 mm.
Distribution
Scandinavia, Siberia, and northern North America. Subspecific distributions include: arctic North America from Greenland and Ellesmere Island west to northern Yukon (nominate ); eastern Canada from the east coast of Hudson Bay and southern Labrador north to arctic islands near the Ungava Peninsula, Quebec (subspecies moeschleri); White Mountains of New Hampshire (subspecies hampa); west-central Alaska and central Yukon southward in the Rocky Mountains to the Beartooth Plateau on the Montana-Wyoming border (subspecies albertensis); northern Europe (subspecies dovrensis); Altai (subspecies altaica); Eurasia (subspecies magadanensis).
Seasonality
fly from June to July.
Diet
feed on nectar of Silene acaulis, Mertensia paniculata, and Senecio (probably Senecio lugens). Larvae feed on Dryas octopetala and Astragalus species.
Host Associations
- Silene acaulis - nectar source feeding
- Mertensia paniculata - nectar source feeding
- Senecio lugens - nectar sourceprobable feeding; listed as Senecio
- Dryas octopetala - larval food plantlarval feeding
- Astragalus - larval food plantlarval feeding
Similar Taxa
- Lasionycta flandaFormerly treated as Lasionycta leucocycla flanda, but raised to level.
- Lasionycta dovrensisTreated as of L. leucocycla but may represent a valid ; if so, L. leucocycla altaica would likely be a subspecies of L. dovrensis rather than of L. leucocycla.
More Details
Taxonomic revision
A comprehensive revision of the Lasionycta was published in ZooKeys 30 (December 2009), including keys, descriptions, and illustrations of 43 , 17 of which were newly described. This revision covers North American species and includes notes on Eurasian species.
Subspecies taxonomy
Eight have been described. The taxonomic status of subspecies dovrensis is particularly uncertain: it is formally treated as a subspecies of L. leucocycla but may represent a valid , which would affect the classification of altaica as well. Three additional subspecies (kenteana, mongolica, subfumosa) are listed as former subspecies.