Dark grey fishia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fishia yosemitae |
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Fishia
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F. yosemitae
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| Fishia yosemitae (Grote, 1873)
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The Fishia yosemitae, also called the dark grey fishia or grey fishia, is a type of moth. It belongs to a large family of moths known as Noctuidae. These moths are often active at night.
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Meet the Dark Grey Fishia Moth
This moth was first described in 1873. It is a small to medium-sized moth. Its scientific name, Fishia yosemitae, comes from the genus Fishia and the Yosemite region where it was likely found.
Where Does It Live?
The dark grey fishia moth can be found in several parts of North America. It lives from central Alberta in Canada down to Colorado in the United States. You can spot it in the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains areas.
It also lives in eastern, central, and southern California. You might also find it in the Intermountain region, which is between mountain ranges.
These moths prefer dry, open places. Their homes include open forests with ponderosa pine trees. They also live in juniper woodlands and areas with sagebrush plants. They are usually found at low to middle elevations.
What Does It Look Like?
The front wings of the dark grey fishia moth are about 15 to 19 millimeters long. That's roughly the length of a small paperclip. These wings are a streaky grey color.
They have black marks, like dashes, near the base and middle of the wings. You can also see zigzag or sawtooth lines on their wings. The back wings have a white fringe (a border of hairs) with a darker area near the base. Both male and female moths look similar in this way.
Adult moths are usually seen flying in the fall season.
What Do Young Moths Eat?
The young moths, called larvae or caterpillars, eat different kinds of plants. They enjoy various herbaceous plants, which are plants with soft stems.
Some of their favorite foods include plants from the Asteraceae family, like daisies and sunflowers. They also feed on plants from the Scrophulariaceae family. Additionally, they like to munch on Eriogonum species, which are often called wild buckwheats.
