Larval-host-plants
Guides
Acronicta lepusculina
Cottonwood Dagger Moth, Cottonwood Dagger
Acronicta lepusculina, commonly known as the cottonwood dagger moth, is a noctuid moth species first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. Adults have a wingspan of 40–50 mm and are active from May to July. The species is notable for its larval association with woody plants in the genera Salix, Populus, and Betula.
Calephelis perditalis
Rounded Metalmark, Lost Metalmark
Calephelis perditalis is a small metalmark butterfly in the family Riodinidae, described by Barnes and McDunnough in 1918. The species occurs from Texas and Mexico southward through Central America to Venezuela. Its common names, "rounded metalmark" and "lost metalmark," reference the rounded wing margins and the species epithet perditalis (Latin for "lost"). The species has two recognized subspecies: the nominate form and C. p. donahuei described in 1971.
Eudryas unio
Pearly Wood-nymph
Eudryas unio, the pearly wood-nymph, is a noctuid moth native to eastern North America. Adults are active from May through August and have a wingspan of 26–35 mm. The species was historically confused with Eudryas brevipennis, but genitalia differences in both sexes confirm their separation. Isolated populations occur in central Utah and California, with the California population potentially representing a distinct subspecies.
Microtia
elf
Microtia is a monophyletic genus of butterflies in the family Nymphalidae, containing the single species Microtia elva, commonly known as the elf. The genus is distributed across the southern United States and Central America. Larvae feed on plants in the family Acanthaceae, particularly Tetramerium.
Stenoptilodes brevipennis
Sweet Broom and Sri Lanka Plume Moth
Stenoptilodes brevipennis is a plume moth in the family Pterophoridae, described by Zeller in 1883. It is notable for its exceptionally broad geographic distribution, spanning from southern Canada through most of the United States and throughout much of Central and South America. Adults are small, with a wingspan of 12–14 mm, and are active during multiple months of the year. The larvae feed on specific host plants: Mecardonia acuminata and Russelia equistiformis.