Melitara subumbrella facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Melitara subumbrella |
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The Melitara subumbrella is a type of snout moth. It belongs to the Melitara group of moths. This moth was first described by a scientist named Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1925. You can find it across western North America. Its range stretches from southern Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada, all the way south to Arizona, central Texas, southern New Mexico, and southeastern California in the United States.
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About the Melitara Subumbrella Moth
The Melitara subumbrella moth is known for its unique appearance and interesting life cycle. It plays a role in the ecosystems where it lives, especially with the cactus plants it feeds on.
What Does It Look Like?
These moths have a wingspan that measures between 35 and 52 millimeters. That's about 1.4 to 2 inches wide. Their front wings, called forewings, are long and narrow. They are usually a plain gray or brownish-gray color. You might see darker lines running along the veins of these wings.
The back wings, or hindwings, are wider and are usually white. Sometimes, these white hindwings have grayish or brownish-gray edges.
Where Does It Live?
The Melitara subumbrella moth is found throughout the western parts of North America. This includes areas with different climates, from the cooler regions of southern Canada to the warmer, drier areas of the southwestern United States. Its wide distribution shows it can adapt to various environments as long as its food sources are available.
Life Cycle and Food
The adult Melitara subumbrella moths are usually seen flying from March to May. In some places, there might be a second group of adults that appear later in the year, from October to November.
Larvae and Their Diet
The young moths, called larvae (or caterpillars), have a special diet. They feed on different types of cactus plants. These include Opuntia basilaris, Opuntia ficus-indica, Opuntia macrorhiza var. macrorhiza, Opuntia atrispina, Opuntia phaeacantha, Opuntia polyacantha, and Opuntia violaceae var. macrocentra.
When they are very young, the larvae are gregarious. This means they like to live and feed together in groups. At this stage, they prefer to eat the fruit of the cactus plants. As they grow bigger, they start to tunnel inside the flat, paddle-like parts of the cactus, which are called cladodes. The oldest larvae might even tunnel into the parts of the plant that are underground.
Pupation
After the larvae have grown enough, they change into pupae. This is a resting stage before they become adult moths. Pupation usually happens among plant debris or other materials on the ground. The mature larvae are white with light purple bands across their bodies.
