Pseudaletia separata (Rice Ear-Cutting Caterpillar)

Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Ear-Cutting Caterpillar, Northern Armyworm, Oriental Armyworm, Rice Ear-Cutting Caterpillar

Description

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Family Noctuidae

'The Noctuids are members of the Superfamily Noctuoidea. Worldwide in distribution, this family is the largest in the Lepidoptera and has approximately 20,000 species. About 2,900 of these are found in North America, and there is wide variation in appearance and behavior. Most moths are gray to brown in color and have line or spots on their wings . Some species are brightly colored . They are small to large in size, and most species are medium-sized with wingspans 2 - 4.5 cm. When at rest, adults of most species hold their wings above their bodies like a roof. Noctuids are typically nocturnal , though some species are diurnal . Most larvae feed on plant foliage , dead leaves, lichens, and fungi; many are serious forest pests. Some species are leaf miners, others are stem- or leaf-borers, and still others feed at night on plant shoots. Noctuid moths pupate in cells in soil, in plant cavities, or in silk cocoons .

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Taxonomy

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Domain: Eukaryota () - Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Animalia () - C. Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
  - Subkingdom: Bilateria () - (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983
    - Branch: Protostomia () - Grobben, 1908
      - Infrakingdom: Ecdysozoa () - A.M.A. Aguinaldo et al., 1997 ex T. Cavalier-Smith, 1998
        Superphylum: Panarthropoda () - Cuvier
        Phylum: Arthropoda () - Latreille, 1829 - Arthropods
        Subphylum: Mandibulata () - Snodgrass, 1938
        Infraphylum: Atelocerata () - Heymons, 1901
        Superclass: Panhexapoda ()
        Epiclass: Hexapoda ()
        Class: Insecta () - C. Linnaeus, 1758 - Insects
        Subclass: Dicondylia ()
        Infraclass: Pterygota ()
        Cohort: Myoglossata ()
        Superorder: Amphiesmenoptera ()
        Order: Lepidoptera () - Linnaeus, 1758 - Butterflies and Moths
        Infraorder: Heteroneura ()
        Superfamily: Noctuoidea ()
        Family: Noctuidae () - - Owlet Moths
        Group: Noctuinina ()
        Subfamily: Hadeninae ()
        Genus: Pseudaletia () - Franclemont, 1951
        Specific name: separata - Walker 1865
        Scientific name: - Pseudaletia separata Walker 1865