Lempke's gold spot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lempke's gold spot |
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| A Putnam's Looper Moth | |
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The Plusia putnami, also known as the Lempke's gold spot or Putnam's looper moth, is a type of moth. It belongs to the family Noctuidae, which includes many kinds of night-flying moths.
You can find this moth in many parts of the world. In the Palearctic realm, it lives from Japan and eastern Siberia all the way to places like Fennoscandia, Great Britain, and France. In North America, it ranges from Newfoundland and Labrador to central Alaska and parts of British Columbia. It also flies south to Pennsylvania, Washington, northeastern California, and in the Rocky Mountains through Utah and Colorado.
The Putnam's looper moth looks very similar to another moth called Plusia festucae. It can be quite tricky to tell them apart just by looking at their wings! Experts often need to study them very closely to know which species they are. These moths usually have a wingspan (the distance from one wingtip to the other) of about 32 to 42 millimeters.
Life Cycle and Habits
Adult Putnam's looper moths are usually seen flying during certain times of the year. In western Europe, they are active from July to August. In the northern parts of North America, you might spot them flying from May all the way through October.
The young moths, called larvae or caterpillars, need food to grow. They like to eat plants from the Calamagrostis group, which are a type of grass.
Where It Lives: Subspecies
The Plusia putnami moth has different groups, called subspecies, that live in various regions. These groups might have slight differences in their looks or habits.
- Plusia putnami putnami: This subspecies is found in North America. It lives from Newfoundland and Labrador down to Pennsylvania, across southern Canada to Alaska, and from Washington to northern California. It also lives in the Rocky Mountains.
- Plusia putnami barbara: This group is found in Morocco, a country in North Africa.
- Plusia putnami festata: You can find this subspecies in the Far East, including the Altai mountains and Japan.
- Plusia putnami gracilis: This group lives in Europe and western Siberia.
