Datana contracta

Walker, 1855

Contracted Datana Moth

Datana contracta, commonly known as the contracted datana, is a in the . It is to eastern and central North America, ranging from Maine to Florida and westward to Arkansas and Wisconsin. The species has a wingspan of 35–50 mm. feed on foliage of various including blueberries, hickories, oaks, sycamore, and witch-hazel.

Datana contracta by (c) Jeff Clark, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jeff Clark. Used under a CC-BY license.- 7906 – Datana contracta – Contracted Datana Moth (16038218610) by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.Datana contracta by James Sullivan, Research Collection of J. B. Sullivan. Used under a Copyrighted free use license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Datana contracta: /dæˈteɪnə kənˈtræk.tə/

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Identification

Specific identification characters distinguishing D. contracta from other Datana are not documented in available sources. The Datana is characterized by with relatively uniform coloration and that feed gregariously on .

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Habitat

Associated with containing plants: blueberries (Vaccinium), hickories (Carya), oaks (Quercus), sycamore (Platanus), and witch-hazel (Hamamelis). In Alabama, has been found in areas with water oak, laurel oak, and sawtooth oak.

Distribution

Eastern and central United States: from Maine south to Florida, and west to Arkansas and Wisconsin.

Diet

feed on foliage of blueberries, hickories, oaks, sycamore, and witch-hazel. Specific feeding habits are not documented.

Host Associations

  • blueberries - larval Vaccinium
  • hickories - larval Carya
  • oaks - larval Quercus
  • sycamore - larval Platanus
  • witch-hazel - larval Hamamelis

Similar Taxa

  • Other Datana species share similar larval feeding habits on and general ; specific distinguishing characters for D. contracta are not documented.

More Details

Alabama host records

In Alabama, have been recorded specifically on water oak, laurel oak, and sawtooth oak.

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Sources and further reading