Sordid dart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sordid dart |
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The sordid dart moth, officially known as Euxoa adumbrata, is a type of moth in the Noctuidae family. A scientist named Eduard Friedrich Eversmann first described this species in 1842.
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Where the Sordid Dart Moth Lives
This moth can be found in many cool, northern places. In North America, it lives across northern Canada, from Quebec all the way to western Alaska. It also flies south into the northern parts of the United States. You can even find it in the mountains of Colorado.
Beyond North America, the sordid dart moth also lives in Greenland. It is found along the coasts of Scandinavia and in the Ural region. Recently, it was also seen in Denmark. However, some moths there might be a very similar species called Euxoa lidia.
Life Cycle and Appearance
The sordid dart moth is a medium-sized moth. Its wingspan, which is the distance from one wingtip to the other, is usually between 34 and 40 millimeters. That's about 1.3 to 1.6 inches.
Adult moths are active during the warmer months. In North America, you can see them flying from June to August. In northern Europe, they are on the wing from July to August. These moths have one generation each year. This means that the moths lay eggs, the eggs hatch into larvae, and those larvae grow into new adult moths all within one year.
What the Larvae Eat
The young moths, called larvae or caterpillars, need food to grow. They like to eat plants such as Taraxacum species, which include dandelions. They also feed on different types of Polygonum plants.
Subspecies of the Sordid Dart Moth
Sometimes, a species can have slightly different groups within it called subspecies. These groups might look a little different or live in different areas. The sordid dart moth has a few recognized subspecies:
- Euxoa adumbrata drewseni (Staudinger, 1857)
- Euxoa adumbrata thanatologia (Dyar, 1904)