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Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Noctuidae 932480 – 9488   Papaipema insulidens (Bird, 1902)              Ragwort Stem Borer

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Larva and Host Plants: Host familiy: Apiaceae Asteraceae Fabaceae Liliaceae.  Host genera: Cicuta Cirsium Daucus Heracleum Jacobaea[=Senecio] Ligusticum Lilium Lupinus Petasites Senecio[=Erechtites] Sium.  Notes: bore in stems of ragworts (Powell & Opler 2009); bores into stems (Crabo et al 2014).  (Shropshire & Douglas 2025) Similar Species: Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.) Synonymy: insulidens (Bird, 1902) (Hydroecia) - MONA 1983: 9488 birdi (Dyar, 1908) (Gortyna) - MONA 1983: [9486] nephrasyntheta (Dyar, 1908) (Gortyna) pertincta Dyar, 1920 (Papaipema) - MONA 1983: [9487] Taxonomic Notes: Papaipema insulidens (Bird, 1902) includes as synonyms 9486 P. birdi and 9487 P. pertincta, ZooKeys, 527: 141.

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. & B.C. Schmidt, 2015. Additions and corrections to the check list of the Noctuoidea (Insecta, Lepidoptera) of North America north of Mexico III. ZooKeys, 527: 127-147. Powell, J. A. & P. A. Opler, 2009. Moths of Western North America, Pl. 53.32m; p. 296. 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

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