Hypena plagiota (Meyrick)

Lovegrass Owlet Moth (Hypena plagiota)  

The Lovegrass Owlet Moth, which was described in 1899, occurred on the islands of Kaua’i and O’ahu, where it inhabited areas at higher elevations, the species probably also occurred on Hawai’i and Maui.  

The quite variable colored species reached a wingspan of about 3 cm.  

The caterpillars fed on several grass species from the genera Eragrostis, among them Eragrostis fosbergii Whitney, Eragrostis grandis Hillebr., and Eragrostis variabilis (Gaudich.) Steud.. [1]  

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References:  

[1] E. C. Zimmerman: Insects of Hawaii 7, Macrolepidoptera. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu 1958  

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Depiction from: ‘Fauna Hawaiiensis; being the land-fauna of the Hawaiian Islands. by various authors, 1899-1913. Cambridge [Eng.]: The University Press 1913’ 

(public domain) 

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edited: 31.03.2018