Zale metatoides
Encyclopedia
The Washed-out Zale or Jack Pine False Looper (Zale metatoides) is a moth
of the Noctuidae
family. It is found in barrens and pine woodlands from at least Wisconsin
and probably Manitoba
to Maine
, south to the mountains of Georgia
. The range in the Gulf States is not certain.
The wingspan
is about 35 mm. There is one generation per year.
The larvae feed on various hard pines, including Jack pine, Pitch pine and Red pine. They prefer young pine needles. The larva are usually orange-brown, brown or gray but more greenish forms occasionally occur.
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 barrens and pine woodlands from at least Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and probably Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
to Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, south to the mountains of 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...
. The range in the Gulf States is not certain.
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 35 mm. There is one generation per year.
The larvae feed on various hard pines, including Jack pine, Pitch pine and Red pine. They prefer young pine needles. The larva are usually orange-brown, brown or gray but more greenish forms occasionally occur.