Orgyia leucostigma sablensis
Encyclopedia
Orgyia leucostigma sablensis is a subspecies of Orgyia leucostigma
found only on Sable Island
in Nova Scotia, Canada
.
, palpi, genitalia and vestiture as O. l. plagiata. Males of the subspecies have a rusty brown colored forewing and have marking similar to that O. l. plagiata but are generally less distinctive. The gray coloring found on the median area of O. l. plagiata are generally absent in males on Sable Island, reduced to a small patch of coloring or absent altogether. The discal dot for males of the subspecies is obscure and indistinct. The undersides of both wings in males are a rusty brown color, while the upper-sides are a solid rusty brown. Females of the subspecies are a very light gray color, and have small wing pads present.
, cranberry
, bayberry and several species of sedges and grasses.
Orgyia leucostigma
Orgyia leucostigma, the White-marked tussock moth, is a moth in the family Lymantriidae. The caterpillar is very common especially in late summer in eastern North America, as far west as Texas, Colorado, and Alberta.-Life cycle:...
found only on Sable Island
Sable Island
Sable Island is a small Canadian island situated 300 km southeast of mainland Nova Scotia in the Atlantic Ocean. The island is a year-round home to approximately five people...
in Nova Scotia, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Physical
O. l. sablensis shares many common characteristics with its mainland counterpart, O. l. plagiata. Males and females of O. l. sablensis share the same antennaeAntenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
, palpi, genitalia and vestiture as O. l. plagiata. Males of the subspecies have a rusty brown colored forewing and have marking similar to that O. l. plagiata but are generally less distinctive. The gray coloring found on the median area of O. l. plagiata are generally absent in males on Sable Island, reduced to a small patch of coloring or absent altogether. The discal dot for males of the subspecies is obscure and indistinct. The undersides of both wings in males are a rusty brown color, while the upper-sides are a solid rusty brown. Females of the subspecies are a very light gray color, and have small wing pads present.
Behavior
Like O. l. plagiata, O. l. sablensis has a flight period that occurs from late July to mid-September. The subspecies is a general feeder, and its larva has been found in blueberryBlueberry
Blueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium with dark-blue berries and are perennial...
, cranberry
Cranberry
Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus Oxycoccus of the genus Vaccinium. In some methods of classification, Oxycoccus is regarded as a genus in its own right...
, bayberry and several species of sedges and grasses.