National Moth Week: Ornate Bella Moth (Utetheisa ornatrix)

Ornate Bella Moth (Utetheisa ornatrix) © Laura Bennett-Kimble

The dainty Ornate Bella moth has surprised more than one casual observer with a flash of its distinct pink wings—typically visible only when in flight. In addition, markings also can boast yellow, orange, black and white variations, which make it pretty flashy in the moth world.

This lovely species is a small one, with a wingspan of only 1.25 to 1.75 inches. And when it folds its wings tightly against a blade of grass, you’ll be hard pressed to spot it. Fortunately, the Bella moth isn’t nocturnal like many of its moth relatives, so you’ve got a better chance of seeing it flitting through the grass in the daylight.

Host plants for the moth’s caterpillars are both native (four species) and non-native (10 species) Crotalaria, known as rabbit bells, as well as rattlebox for the rattling sound of ripened seed pods. This leads to another common name for the Bella moth: rattlebox moth.

Interestingly, “because most of [Florida’s] common Crotalarias are introduced weedy species and toxic to cattle, the Ornate Bella moth plays a beneficial role by eating their seeds and suppressing their reproduction,” according to University of Florida’s IFAS.

That diet provides the species a protective defense, because Crotalaria plants and seeds contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids that the Bella moth caterpillars ingest. The moths are subsequently poisonous at every stage of the life cycle, which keeps potential predators, such as spiders, at bay.

While Ornate Bella moths can be found as far north as New England and west into Arizona and Nebraska, they are more commonly found in southern states and even as far south as South America.

If you’ve been lucky enough to snap a photo or two of one of these small beauties, consider sharing it in the iNaturalist National Moth Week citizen science project. National Moth Week events are being organized around the globe, too, and online registration is available for group and individual activities.

by Laura Bennett-Kimble of Passionflower Chapter, edited by Valerie Anderson

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Wednesday's Wildflower:Spanish Needle

Image
Spanish Needle, Bidens Alba Submitted by Donna Bollenbach, Suncoast Chapter Biden's alba , all photos by Donna Bollenbach Nothing attracts more butterflies and bees than a simple white flower called Bidens alba . Also called Romerillo, Beggar’s Tick, Spanish Needle or Monkey’s Lice, this Florida native wildflower is the third most reliable source of nectar for pollinators in our state. There would be many starving bees and butterflies if not for the Bidens family of flowers. More so, Bidens alba and its sister plant, Bidens pilosa , are both edible and have medicinal value. Yet, many gardeners have a love/hate relationship the plant, and some even consider it a pesky weed. Why?
Read more

Australian Pine: One of Florida's Least Wanted

Image
 Austrailian Pine fruits Australian pines seem to be everywhere in the coastal regions in the bottom half of Florida. Their name is deceiving because, while they are native to Australia, they aren't pines or even conifers. They are flowering trees with separate male and female flowers, and what look like needles are really green twiglets with close-set circles of tiny leaves that drop at the first sign of a drought. In the photo to the right, the light-colored lines are where leaves where once attached. Most of the photosynthesis takes place in the twiglets. There are three species of Australian pine ( Casuarina spp ) that have been imported into Florida for various purposes. They were widely planted to soak up the "swamps" in Florida, stabilize canals, and hold beaches. Unfortunately for Florida's ecosystems, the "pines" accomplished all this and more--like seeding prolifically, growing five feet or more per year, producing dense shade, and emitting
Read more

Tropical Milkweed is Harmful to Monarchs & Florida Ecosystems

Image
By Lilly Anderson-Messec The red and yellow blooms of tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica , are ubiquitous in Florida butterfly gardens. This non-native milkweed has exploded in popularity as demand for milkweed grows to support declining monarch butterfly populations. This tropical species is native to Mexico and very easy to propagate, so growers are able to quickly produce plant material to meet the milkweed demand. It’s also very showy, blooming prolifically all season and regrowing quickly after being decimated by hungry caterpillars.  Unfortunately, tropical milkweed has been an increasingly invasive species in Central and South Florida for many years, and has begun spreading in North Florida as well. It’s fast growth and prolific re-seeding have resulted in large monocultures of tropical milkweed in natural areas. This unchecked growth replaces native plants and disrupts the native ecosystems that both wildlife and humans rely on. The invasive quality of this plant is is j
Read more