Mesogona olivata
Encyclopedia
Mesogona olivata is a moth
of the Noctuidae
family. It is found from southern coastal and interior British Columbia
south through California
, Colorado
and Texas
. It most likely also occurs in northern Mexico
.
The wingspan
is about 36 mm. Adults are on wing from August to November.
The larvae feed on various deciduous shrubs and trees, including poplar, oak, hazel, amelanchier, alder, antelope brush, Symphoricarpos
, and Berberis
. It has been reared from Quercus garryana, Ceanothus velutinus
and Quercus agrifolia.
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 Noctuidae
Noctuidae
The Noctuidae or owlet moths are a family of robustly-built moths that includes more than 35,000 known species out of possibly 100,000 total, in more than 4,200 genera. They constitute the largest family in the Lepidoptera....
family. It is found from southern coastal and interior British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
south through California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and 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 most likely also occurs in northern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf 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 about 36 mm. Adults are on wing from August to November.
The larvae feed on various deciduous shrubs and trees, including poplar, oak, hazel, amelanchier, alder, antelope brush, Symphoricarpos
Symphoricarpos
Symphoricarpos, with common names in English of Snowberry, Waxberry or Ghostberry, is a small genus of about 15 species of deciduous shrubs in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae. All species are natives of North and Central America, except one native to western China...
, and Berberis
Berberis
Berberis , the barberries or pepperidge bushes, is a genus of about 450-500 species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs from 1-5 m tall with thorny shoots, native to the temperate and subtropical regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and South America. They are closely related to the genus...
. It has been reared from Quercus garryana, Ceanothus velutinus
Ceanothus velutinus
Ceanothus velutinus, with the common names Snowbrush Ceanothus, Red Root, and Tobacco Brush, is a species of shrub in the buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae...
and Quercus agrifolia.