Translate

Showing posts with label Noctuidae. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Noctuidae. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Noctuids, another family of little known pollinators

Cirrhophanus triangulifer (Goldenrod Stowaway)

The noctuids or owlet moths are part of a very large family, perhaps the largest one of Lepidoptera; although some of the subfamilies deserve to be considered as families in their own right. The taxonomy is still in flux.

The name Noctuidae of this family means night or nocturnal. One would think that these are night moths and many of them, in fact, are. But in such large family there are many representatives that choose to fly during the day. Once again some of these tend to be more colorful than night fliers. And, once again the day fliers are more likely to visit flowers and to be pollinators.

Alypia octomaculata (Eight-spotted Forester), a colorful noctuid moth

A number of them are found on flowers sipping nectar and are probably pollinators; although, once again, very little is known about this activity.

Here are a few of the most common ones:
Xestia c-nigrum/dolosa complex
Nephelodes minians (Bronzed Cutworm)

Lacinipolia renigera (Bristly Cutworm)

Moths as Pollinators
List of articles

© Beatriz Moisset. 2012