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Alfalfa looper facts for kids

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Alfalfa looper
Autographa californica.jpg
Scientific classification

The alfalfa looper (scientific name: Autographa californica) is a type of moth. It belongs to a family of moths called Noctuidae. A scientist named Adolph Speyer first described this moth in 1875.

You can find the alfalfa looper in western North America. Its range goes from southern British Columbia down to Baja California. It also reaches places like Manitoba, South Dakota, Colorado, and New Mexico.

About the Alfalfa Looper

This moth has a wingspan of about 36 to 42 millimeters. That's roughly the length of a small paperclip! You can see these moths flying from July to October. The exact time depends on where they live.

What do Alfalfa Looper Caterpillars Eat?

The young moths, called larvae or caterpillars, eat many different kinds of plants. They are not picky eaters! Their diet includes plants from various families.

Some of the plant families they are known to eat are:

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