Species Details

Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum Read more about this collection »

Common NameDogbane tiger-moth IdentificationA medium-size (3-4 cm wingspan) white moth. The costa of the forewing is broadly buff-yellow almost to the apex. The the head and front of the thorax are the same color. The body is mostly yellow-orange, with black spots on the dorsal and lateral surfaces. Male antennae narrowly bipectinate, female simple. Sexes similar. No other Alberta moths are white with a yellow costa. The Larvae are covered in soft dense grey or whitish hair.

Scientific Name Cycnia tenera Common Name Dogbane tiger-moth Habitat In Alberta found in dry open and sandy habitats in the Grasslands region along the lower Red Deer and South Saskatchewan River valleys. Identification
A medium-size (3-4 cm wingspan) white moth. The costa of the forewing is broadly buff-yellow almost to the apex. The the head and front of the thorax are the same color. The body is mostly yellow-orange, with black…
A medium-size (3-4 cm wingspan) white moth. The costa of the forewing is broadly buff-yellow almost to the apex. The the head and front of the thorax are the same color. The body is mostly yellow-orange, with black spots on the dorsal and lateral surfaces. Male antennae narrowly bipectinate, female simple. Sexes similar. No other Alberta moths are white with a yellow costa. The Larvae are covered in soft dense grey or whitish hair.
Life History
Adults are nocturnal and come to light, but can also be found during the day on the host plants. Larval hosts include both dogbane (Apocynum) and less commonly milkweeds (Asclepias). Larvae feed at night, in small…
Adults are nocturnal and come to light, but can also be found during the day on the host plants. Larval hosts include both dogbane (Apocynum) and less commonly milkweeds (Asclepias). Larvae feed at night, in small groups of 5-7 larvae in the early instars (Cohen and Brower, 1983). The pupa is covered in a cocoon of the same hair. Adults have been collected in mid June in Alberta.
Range Throughout the USA and north into southern Canada. Notes
Both the chemical and sound production defenses used against predators, especially bats, have been the subject of considerable study recently. To date there are only two records of this moth for Alberta. One of these…
Both the chemical and sound production defenses used against predators, especially bats, have been the subject of considerable study recently. To date there are only two records of this moth for Alberta. One of these was collected by Chris Schmidt June 16, 2005 on old vegetated sandy beach ridges, along with a number of specimens of Cycnia oregonensis (Stretch). The specimen illustrated above is from Crooked Lake, SK.

Citation

Page Citation for Cycnia tenera

Page Citation

"Species Details - Cycnia tenera, University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum." University of Alberta Museums Search Site, https://search.museums.ualberta.ca/g/2-6160. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.

References

Specimen Information

There are 30 specimens of this Species.

30 results plotted on map in 13 markers.
Note: Only records with latitude and longitude coordinates are plotted on map.

UASM99368 - Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Bindloss Collected ByAnweiler, G. G. Date Collected2008-07-08

BIRD22550 - Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Bindloss Collected ByAnweiler, G. G. Date Collected2008-07-07

UASM92347 - Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Bindloss Collected ByAnweiler, G. G. Date Collected2008-07-07

UASM92348 - Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Bindloss Collected ByAnweiler, G. G. Date Collected2008-07-07

UASM99894 - Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Bindloss Collected ByAnweiler, G. G. Date Collected2008-07-09

UASM99895 - Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Bindloss Collected ByAnweiler, G. G. Date Collected2008-07-09

UASM99896 - Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Bindloss Collected ByAnweiler, G. G. Date Collected2008-07-09

UASM99897 - Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Bindloss Collected ByAnweiler, G. G. Date Collected2008-07-09

UASM171832 - Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, South Saskatchewan River Collected ByTroubridge, J. Date Collected1999-07-13

UASM171833 - Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: British Columbia, Lillooet Collected ByTroubridge, J. Date Collected1998-06-17

UASM171834 - Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Ontario, Long Point Collected ByTroubridge, J. Date Collected2003-08-21

UASM171835 - Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: British Columbia, Langley Collected ByTroubridge, J. Date Collected1990-07-25/1990-07-30

UASM171836 - Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Saskatchewan, Crooked Lake Collected ByAnweiler, G. G. Date Collected1996-07-06

UASM171837 - Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Ontario, Carp Ridge Collected ByTroubridge, J. Date Collected2003-06-09

UASM171838 - Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Ontario, Carp Ridge Collected ByTroubridge, J. Date Collected2004-06-25

UASM171839 - Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Ontario, Canfield Collected ByTroubridge, J. Date Collected1987-05-20

UASM171840 - Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Ontario, Canfield Collected ByTroubridge, J. Date Collected1987-08-01/1987-08-07

UASM171841 - Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Ontario, Canfield Collected ByTroubridge, J. Date Collected1987-08-01/1987-08-07

UASM171842 - Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Ontario, Canfield Collected ByTroubridge, J. Date Collected1987-08-08/1987-08-14

UASM171843 - Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Ontario, Ottawa Collected ByTroubridge, J. Date Collected2004-06-24

UASM171844 - Cycnia tenera

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Ontario, Ottawa Collected ByTroubridge, J. Date Collected2004-06-24

Adult Seasonal Distribution