Xestia elimata
Encyclopedia
The Southern Variable Dart or Variable Climbing Caterpillar when referring to the caterpillar (Xestia elimata) is a moth
of the Noctuidae
family. It is found in the Eastern part of North America
, including Georgia
, Tennessee
, North Carolina
, New Jersey
, Maryland
and New England
. It is part of the elimata species group. Three of the species in this group (Xestia praevia
, Xestia elimata and Xestia badicollis
) have no significant difference in both genitals and DNA, suggesting they may be in fact one species.
This wingspan
is about 42 mm. The moth flies from September to October depending on the location. There is one generation per year.
The larva
feed on Pinus species, including pitch, red, and other hard pines.
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 in the Eastern part of 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...
, including Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. It is part of the elimata species group. Three of the species in this group (Xestia praevia
Xestia praevia
Xestia praevia is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found in Canada south to California. It is part of the elimata species group...
, Xestia elimata and Xestia badicollis
Xestia badicollis
The Northern Variable Dart, Northern Conifer Dart or White Pine Cutworm when referring to the larval stage is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found from Nova Scotia to North Carolina, west to Missouri and Ontario. It is part of the elimata species group...
) have no significant difference in both genitals and DNA, suggesting they may be in fact one species.
This 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 42 mm. The moth flies from September to October depending on the location. There is one generation per year.
The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
feed on Pinus species, including pitch, red, and other hard pines.