Moth Photographers Group – Apamea sordens

Digital Guide to Moth Identification

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Noctuidae

932314 – 9364 Apamea sordens (Hufnagel, 1766)

Bordered Apamea

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Larva and Host Plants:	Host familiy: Asteraceae Cyperaceae Fabaceae Poaceae. Host genera: Agrostis Apera Arrhenatherum Avena Bromus Calamagrostis Carex Cytisus Dactylis Deschampsia Elymus Festuca Hordeum Leymus Phalaris Phleum Phragmites Secale Schedonorus Scirpus Taraxacum Triticum Zea Zi... Notes: grasses [for Apamea finitima] (Poole 1989); climbing cutworm on Poaceae (Crabo et al 2014); feeds iternally on large grasses (Wagner et al 2011). (Shropshire & Douglas 2025)
Similar Species:	Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.)
Synonymy:	sordens (Hufnagel, 1766) (Phalaena) extralim. - MONA 1983: [NEW] basilinea ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) (Noctua) excl. ssp. a. finitima Guenée, 1852 (Apamea) - MONA 1983: [9364] cerviana (Smith, 1900) (Hadena) ssp. b. sableana Mikkola, 2009 (Apamea)
Taxonomic Notes:	Apamea sordens: Includes Apamea finitima as a North American subspecies of the Holarctic species Apamea sordens [9364].

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.
Mikkola, K., J. D. Lafontaine & J. D. Gill, 2009. Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 26.9: p. 51; pl. 2.23-29. order or free PDF
Powell, J. A. & P. A. Opler, 2009. Moths of Western North America, Pl. 53.13m; p. 295. 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 Mass Moths
Species Page at Pacific Northwest Moths
Species Page at iNaturalist

Moth Photographers Group at the Mississippi Entomological Museum at the Mississippi State University

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