Species Details

Xestia speciosa

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

SeasonalityIn Alberta adults are on the wing from late June through mid-August IdentificationA medium-sized (3.8 - 5.0 cm wingspan) narrow-bodied rather drab mottled dark and light grey moth. The dentate white subterminal line is the most prominent marking and is bordered inwardly by small black wedges. Claviform, reniform and orbicular spots white outlined and largely filled with grey scales and thus rather obscure. Hindwings light grey with a dark discal dot, faint postmedian line and narrow, dark terminal line. Antennae simple. Sexes similar. Speciosa looks blurry and lacks the crisp contrasting dark grey or black appearance of X. mixta, with which it was formerly lumped and is often confused. The male genitalia are distinct. The genitalia of both sexes are illustrated by Lafontaine (1998). In the northern end of the mountains of Alberta speciosa often has dark phenotypes, in extreme cases almost melanic.

Scientific Name Xestia speciosa Habitat coniferous and mixedwood forest. Seasonality In Alberta adults are on the wing from late June through mid-August Identification
A medium-sized (3.8 - 5.0 cm wingspan) narrow-bodied rather drab mottled dark and light grey moth. The dentate white subterminal line is the most prominent marking and is bordered inwardly by small black wedges.…
A medium-sized (3.8 - 5.0 cm wingspan) narrow-bodied rather drab mottled dark and light grey moth. The dentate white subterminal line is the most prominent marking and is bordered inwardly by small black wedges. Claviform, reniform and orbicular spots white outlined and largely filled with grey scales and thus rather obscure. Hindwings light grey with a dark discal dot, faint postmedian line and narrow, dark terminal line. Antennae simple. Sexes similar. Speciosa looks blurry and lacks the crisp contrasting dark grey or black appearance of X. mixta, with which it was formerly lumped and is often confused. The male genitalia are distinct. The genitalia of both sexes are illustrated by Lafontaine (1998). In the northern end of the mountains of Alberta speciosa often has dark phenotypes, in extreme cases almost melanic.
Life History
Adults are nocturnal and come to light. In Alberta adults are on the wing from late June through mid-August. The larva is described by Lafontaine (1998). Speciosa is polyphagus, and reported larval hosts include…
Adults are nocturnal and come to light. In Alberta adults are on the wing from late June through mid-August. The larva is described by Lafontaine (1998). Speciosa is polyphagus, and reported larval hosts include blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) (Ericaceae), Dwarf birch (Betula nana) (Betulaceae) and goldenrod (Solidago spp.) (Asteraceae) (Lafontaine, 1998).
Diet Info Speciosa is polyphagus, and reported larval hosts include blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) (Ericaceae), Dwarf birch (Betula nana) (Betulaceae) and goldenrod (Solidago spp.) (Asteraceae Range
Holarctic. X. speciosa is widespread across the northern Palaearctic. In North America it is distributed across the arctic from AK west to Hudson Bay and south in the Rocky Mountains to CO. Two subspecies occur in…
Holarctic. X. speciosa is widespread across the northern Palaearctic. In North America it is distributed across the arctic from AK west to Hudson Bay and south in the Rocky Mountains to CO. Two subspecies occur in North America; subspecies arctica Zett. occurs in northern Canada, south to the northern parts of the mountains in Alberta. In the southern Alberta mountains and southward (including Cypress Hills) and south to CO arctica is replaced by ssp. apropitia Benj., a slightly larger darker form that was described from Banff specimens. Speciosa is found in coniferous and mixedwood forest.
Notes
Recent work on this genus by Mikkola, Lafontaine and Kononenko (1996) has resulted in a better understanding of the subgenera as well as some major changes in the nomenclature. It is possible that with further…
Recent work on this genus by Mikkola, Lafontaine and Kononenko (1996) has resulted in a better understanding of the subgenera as well as some major changes in the nomenclature. It is possible that with further research the North American forms may yet prove to be one or more species separate from Palaearctic speciosa. Hodges et al (1983) treated speciosa and apropitia as separate species, hence the dual MONA numbers. The illustrated specimen is subspecies arctica from YT. Most Alberta material examined tends to be broader-winged and frequently is darker.
Xestia speciosa
Xestia speciosa

Citation

Page Citation for Xestia speciosa

Page Citation

"Species Details - Xestia speciosa, University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum." University of Alberta Museums Search Site, https://search.museums.ualberta.ca/g/2-6226. Accessed 03 Nov. 2024.

References

Specimen Information

There are 66 specimens of this Species.

66 results plotted on map in 23 markers.
Note: Only records with latitude and longitude coordinates are plotted on map.

UASM2057 - Xestia speciosa

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Prospect Creek Collected ByAnweiler, G. G.; Schmidt, B. C. Date Collected2000-07-21

UASM24489 - Xestia speciosa

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Cardinal Divide Collected ByAnweiler, G. G.; Schmidt, B. C. Date Collected2000-07-21

UASM24654 - Xestia speciosa

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Limestone Mountain Collected ByMengersen, E. Date Collected2002-07-29/2002-07-30

UASM24655 - Xestia speciosa

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Limestone Mountain Collected ByMengersen, E. Date Collected2002-07-29/2002-07-30

UASM24656 - Xestia speciosa

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Limestone Mountain Collected ByMengersen, E. Date Collected2002-07-29/2002-07-30

UASM24657 - Xestia speciosa

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Limestone Mountain Collected ByMengersen, E. Date Collected2002-07-29/2002-07-30

UASM24658 - Xestia speciosa

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Limestone Mountain Collected ByMengersen, E. Date Collected2002-07-29/2002-07-30

UASM24659 - Xestia speciosa

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Limestone Mountain Collected ByMengersen, E. Date Collected2002-07-29/2002-07-30

UASM24189 - Xestia speciosa

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Limestone Mountain Collected ByMengersen, E. Date Collected2002-07-29/2002-07-30

UASM24190 - Xestia speciosa

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Limestone Mountain Collected ByMengersen, E. Date Collected2002-07-29/2002-07-30

UASM24191 - Xestia speciosa

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Limestone Mountain Collected ByMengersen, E. Date Collected2002-07-29/2002-07-30

UASM24192 - Xestia speciosa

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Limestone Mountain Collected ByMengersen, E. Date Collected2002-07-29/2002-07-30

UASM24193 - Xestia speciosa

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Limestone Mountain Collected ByMengersen, E. Date Collected2002-07-29/2002-07-30

UASM24194 - Xestia speciosa

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Limestone Mountain Collected ByMengersen, E. Date Collected2002-07-29/2002-07-30

UASM24195 - Xestia speciosa

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Limestone Mountain Collected ByMengersen, E. Date Collected2002-07-29/2002-07-30

UASM24196 - Xestia speciosa

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Limestone Mountain Collected ByMengersen, E. Date Collected2002-07-29/2002-07-30

UASM24197 - Xestia speciosa

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Limestone Mountain Collected ByMengersen, E. Date Collected2002-07-29/2002-07-30

UASM34883 - Xestia speciosa

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Kananaskis Country, Picklejar Lakes Collected ByLawrie, D. Date Collected1998-08-08

UASM34889 - Xestia speciosa

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Mount Stearn Collected ByLawrie, D. Date Collected2000-07-27

BIRD14319 - Xestia speciosa

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Limestone Mountain Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2002-07-29

BIRD16089 - Xestia speciosa

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Nordegg Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2005-08-13

Adult Seasonal Distribution