Melitara dentata
Encyclopedia
The North American Cactus Moth (Melitara dentata) is a moth
of the Pyralidae
family. It is native to western North America
, where it is widespread from Alberta
to southern Arizona
and central Texas
. It is an introduced species in Hawaii
.
The wingspan
is 32-50 mm. Adults have a stocky, grayish body with long and narrow gray forewings, often with a whitish costal margin. The forewings have a row of dark spots near the tip with one spot between each pair of veins and a distinct (but often weak) double zigzag cross-band, a distinct black discal spot and a weak, dark angled cross-band near the wing base. The hind wings are broad and white, mostly with grayish margins.
There is one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Opuntia
species, including Opuntia fragilis
, Opuntia macrorhiza and Opuntia polyacantha
. Pupation takes place in the silk cases.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Pyralidae
Pyralidae
The Pyralidae or snout moths are a family of Lepidoptera in the ditrysian superfamily Pyraloidea. In many classifications, the grass moths are included in the Pyralidae as a subfamily, making the combined group one of the largest families in the Lepidoptera...
family. It is native to western North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, where it is widespread from Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
to southern Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and central Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. It is an introduced species in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 32-50 mm. Adults have a stocky, grayish body with long and narrow gray forewings, often with a whitish costal margin. The forewings have a row of dark spots near the tip with one spot between each pair of veins and a distinct (but often weak) double zigzag cross-band, a distinct black discal spot and a weak, dark angled cross-band near the wing base. The hind wings are broad and white, mostly with grayish margins.
There is one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Opuntia
Opuntia
Opuntia, also known as nopales or paddle cactus , is a genus in the cactus family, Cactaceae.Currently, only prickly pears are included in this genus of about 200 species distributed throughout most of the Americas. Chollas are now separated into the genus Cylindropuntia, which some still consider...
species, including Opuntia fragilis
Opuntia fragilis
Opuntia fragilis, known by the common names brittle prickly pear and little prickly pear, is a prickly pear cactus native to much of North America. It occurs in several Canadian provinces. It is known from farther north than any other cactus, occurring at as close as 8°south of the Arctic Circle, ...
, Opuntia macrorhiza and Opuntia polyacantha
Opuntia polyacantha
Opuntia polyacantha is a common species of cactus known by the common names plains pricklypear, hairspine cactus, panhandle pricklypear, and starvation pricklypear. It is native to North America, where it is widespread in western Canada, the central and western United States, and northern...
. Pupation takes place in the silk cases.