The white flower moth (Schinia bimatris) is a moth of the family Noctuidae found in the United States and Canada.[1][2] It is designated as Endangered under Canada's Species At Risk Act and Manitoba's Endangered Species and Ecosystems Act.[3][4]

Schinia bimatris
adult white flower moth
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Schinia
Species:
S. bimatris
Binomial name
Schinia bimatris
(Harvey, 1875)
Synonyms
  • Pippona bimatris Harvey, 1875
  • Lygranthoecia bimatris (Harvey, 1875)
  • Adonisea bimatris (Harvey, 1875)

Description

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The appearance of white flower moth larvae is unknown. The wings, thorax, and abdomen of adult moths are completely white, while the head is orange.[1][5] Adults have a wingspan of about 30 mm (1.2 in).[1][5]

Range

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The range of this species includes much of the south-central and south-eastern United States and a disjunct population in the Carberry sandhills in Manitoba, Canada.[1][2][6]

Ecology

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In the United States, the white flower moth has been recorded in coastal longleaf pine woodlands, while in Canada it is restricted to open sand dune areas.[1][6] The larval food plant(s) has yet to be determined but it has been suggested that the larvae may feed on Nuttall's Evening-primrose (Oenothera nuttallii).[1] The adults are primarily nocturnal but have been observed flying during the day.[1][6]

Taxonomy

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This species was first described by Leon F. Harvey in 1875 as Pippona bimatris from specimens collected in Bosque County, Texas, by Gustav Belfrage, but was later transferred to Schinia.[5][7]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Schinia bimatris Report by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Retrieved on 2009-10-06.
  2. ^ a b Gregory R. Pohl; Jean-François Landry; Christian Schmidt; et al. (2018). Annotated checklist of the moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera) of Canada and Alaska. Series Faunistica. Vol. 118. ISBN 978-954-642-909-4. OL 32898597M. Wikidata Q97158808.
  3. ^ "Species at risk registry". species-registry.canada.ca. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  4. ^ "Agriculture and Resource Development | Province of Manitoba". www.gov.mb.ca. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  5. ^ a b c Leon F. Harvey (1875). "On Texan Lepidoptera collected by Mr. Belfrage". Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences. 3: 3–16. ISSN 0096-4131. Wikidata Q93561883.
  6. ^ a b c A. Richard Westwood; Christopher P. Friesen (February 2009). "Occurrence and habitat of the endangered white flower moth, Schinia bimatris (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in Manitoba". The Canadian Entomologist. 141 (1): 80–85. doi:10.4039/N08-046. ISSN 0008-347X. Wikidata Q95288853.
  7. ^ William Trowbridge Merrifield Forbes (July 1954). "Lepidoptera of New York and Neighboring States, Part III: Noctuidae". Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station Memoirs. Wikidata Q94329025.