Agrotis rileyana

Morrison, 1874

Riley's cutworm, Riley's dart moth

Agrotis rileyana is a of in the , described by Morrison in 1874. The species belongs to the Agrotis, a large group of commonly known as dart moths or cutworms whose are significant agricultural pests. are active in late summer. The species is to North America with records from the Canadian prairie provinces.

Agrotis rileyana by no rights reserved, uploaded by Andreas Manz. Used under a CC0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Agrotis rileyana: //əˈɡroʊtɪs ˌraɪliˈænə//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

can be distinguished from similar mimics by the combination of banding on every abdominal and the red on the . This full abdominal banding pattern is rare among mimics. The was historically confused with Synanthedon decipiens due to -mimic appearance, but differs in association and abdominal pattern. are distinguished from other by association with horse nettle host plants in sandy .

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Habitat

are associated with sandy areas around farm fields where larval plants grow. The inhabits agricultural landscapes and adjacent natural areas with suitable soil conditions for host establishment.

Distribution

North America: recorded from Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. The distribution corresponds to sandy agricultural regions of the northern Great Plains.

Seasonality

late in summer, with activity peaking in September. This timing corresponds to the second in areas with bimodal .

Host Associations

Solanum carolinense - larval horse nettle, common in sandy spots around farm fields

Behavior

are active during daylight hours and visit flowers. Males use to locate females. The exhibits - and appearance, which provides protection from .

Ecological Role

Larval stage functions as a on Solanum . serve as when visiting flowers. The species participates in agricultural as for birds, , and other .

Human Relevance

feed on horse nettle, a weedy in the nightshade , and are not considered significant agricultural pests of cultivated . The has minor importance as a subject of entomological study due to its effective and distinctive .

Similar Taxa

Synanthedon decipiensBoth are -mimicking with similar appearance; distinguished by abdominal banding pattern (every in A. rileyana vs. different pattern in S. decipiens) and (oak for S. decipiens vs. horse nettle for A. rileyana)
Agrotis ipsilonBoth are Agrotis with similar larval ; distinguished by appearance (A. rileyana has distinctive abdominal banding and red ) and preferences

Misconceptions

The has been misidentified as a () due to its effective and narrow . Historical records may confuse this species with Synanthedon decipiens or other wasp-mimicking .

More Details

Taxonomic note

The authority is sometimes cited as Morrison, 1875 in some databases (NCBI), but the original description was published in 1874.

Mimicry system

This represents an unusual case of within , convergent with the . The full banding of the is particularly distinctive.