Tarache aprica
Encyclopedia
The Exposed Bird Dropping Moth (Tarache aprica) is a moth
of the Noctuidae
family. It is found from Ontario
and Quebec
to Florida
, west to Arizona
, north to Kansas
and Iowa
. There are some records from Great Britain
, but this probably relates to imports.
The habitat consists of gardens, fields and open areas.
The adults are sexually dimorphic. The male forewing is basally white with two black patches along the costa, the distal patch merging with general blackish shading beyond PM line, leaving a white patch near the apex. The female forewing is mostly dark gray or blackish except for two white patches along the costa, and some white at the base and outer margin. There is a small black orbicular spot surrounded by white, which is usually prominent in both sexes. The hindwing is whitish or pale gray. There is a dark grayish-brown shading along the outer margin in the females.
The wingspan
is 15-29 mm. Adults are on wing from March to September in the south. They have a reduced season in the north.
The larvae feed on Alcea rosea
.
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 Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, west to 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...
, north to Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. There are some records from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, but this probably relates to imports.
The habitat consists of gardens, fields and open areas.
The adults are sexually dimorphic. The male forewing is basally white with two black patches along the costa, the distal patch merging with general blackish shading beyond PM line, leaving a white patch near the apex. The female forewing is mostly dark gray or blackish except for two white patches along the costa, and some white at the base and outer margin. There is a small black orbicular spot surrounded by white, which is usually prominent in both sexes. The hindwing is whitish or pale gray. There is a dark grayish-brown shading along the outer margin in the females.
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 15-29 mm. Adults are on wing from March to September in the south. They have a reduced season in the north.
The larvae feed on Alcea rosea
Alcea rosea
Alcea rosea is an ornamental plant in the Malvaceae family....
.