Tag Archives: Agrotis microreas

Agrotis microreas Meyrick

Kilauea Cutworm (Agrotis microreas)  

This species is the smallest member of its genus on the Hawai’i Islands and is known only on the basis of the type material, a single pair.  

The species reached a wingspan of about 2,6 cm.  

The host plant of its larvae is unknown.  

The Kilauea Cutworm was scientifically described in the year 1899 and was, according to eyewitnesses, still commonly found on the hills of the Kilauea volcano in the year 1913, where the moths were seen flying in the morning sunshine over low vegetation. [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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Photo from: ‘Matthew J. Medeiros; Jessica Kirkpatrick; Christine H. Elliott; Andersonn Prestes; Jesse Eiben; Daniel Rubinoff: Two new day-flying species of Agrotis Ochsenheimer (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from the alpine summit of Maunakea Volcano. Zootaxa 4545(2): 277-285. 2019’  

(under creative commons license (3.0))
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

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edited: 22.01.2019