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Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Noctuidae 932333 – 9348   Apamea amputatrix (Fitch, 1857)              Yellow-headed Cutworm

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Larva and Host Plants: Host familiy: Amaranthaceae[Chenopodiaceae] Asteraceae Betulaceae Brassicaceae Caprifoliaceae Grossulariaceae Poaceae Rosaceae Salicaceae Sapindaceae[Aceraceae] Solanaceae.  Host genera: Acer Alnus Avena Brassica Lactuca Nicotiana Prunus Ribes Rosa Salix Spinacia Symphoricarpos Triticum Zea.  Notes: Acer Alnus Symphoricarpos Prunus Salix [for Apamea castanea Grote] (Tietz 1972, Poole 1989); polyphagous and feed on a variety of herbaceous plants, grasses & young trees (Powell & Opler 2009); soil-s...  (Shropshire & Douglas 2025) Similar Species: Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.) Synonymy: amputatrix (Fitch, 1857) (Hadena) - MONA 1983: 9348 amica (Harris, 1863) (Hadena) arctica (Boisduval, 1840) (Hadena) arctica (Freyer, 1842) (Hadena) castanea (Grote, 1874) (Hadena) - MONA 1983: [9349] cymosa (Grote, 1881) (Hadena) cymosana (Strand, 1916) ([unknown]) formosus (Ellsworth, 1918) (Hadena) pluviosa (Walker, 1865) (Eurois) Taxonomic Notes: Apamea amputatrix (Fitch, 1857) includes as a synonym Apamea castanea [9349].

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. 70; pl. 4.32-5.5. order or free PDF Powell, J. A. & P. A. Opler, 2009. Moths of Western North America, Pl. 53.10m, 53.11m; 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 E. H. Strickland Museum Species Page at Mass Moths Species Page at Pacific Northwest Moths Species Page at iNaturalist

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