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Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Noctuidae 931193 – 8914   Autographa californica (Speyer, 1875)              Alfalfa Looper

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Larva and Host Plants: Host familiy: Alliaceae[Liliaceae] Apiaceae Amaranthaceae[Chenopodiaceae] Aquifoliaceae Asteraceae Boraginaceae Ad..  Host genera: Allium Amelanchier Amsinckia Apium Astragalus Atriplex Bahiopsis[=Viguiera] Beta Brassica Calendula ...  Host extended: wide variety of woody and herbaceous plants (Powell & Opler 2009); wide variety of herbaceous plants...  (Kimberley & Douglas 2025) Similar Species: Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.) Synonymy: californica (Speyer, 1875) (Plusia) - MONA 1983: 8914 russea (Edwards, 1886) (Plusia)

References (Caution: DNA barcoding at BOLD provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; some BOLD specimens shown may not be sequenced.)

Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: Identifications often erroneous; DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; many specimens not sequenced. Lafontaine, J. D. & R. W. Poole, 1991. Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 25.1: p. 84; pl. 2.9-12. order or free PDF Powell, J. A. & P. A. Opler, 2009. Moths of Western North America, Pl. 49.33m; p. 278. Book Review and ordering Shropshire, K.J. & D.W. Tallamy, 2025. Lepidoptera of North America, north of Mexico: an annotated list containing geographic ranges and host-plant records. ZooKeys, 1261: 101-113; Suppl. 1. (PDF or read online) Species Page at Block Island Moths Species Page at BugGuide.Net Species Page at E. H. Strickland Museum Species Page at Mass Moths Species Page at Pacific Northwest Moths Species Page at iNaturalist Species page at Moths of North Dakota.

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