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Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Noctuidae 932518 – 9526   Bellura densa (Walker, 1865)              Pickerelweed Borer

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Larva and Host Plants: Host familiy: Araceae Pontederiaceae Typhaceae.  Host genera: Colocasia Eichhornia Pontederia Typha.  Host extended: Eichhornia(?) (Heppner 2007); Bellura bores in to stems of aquatic plants (Wagner et al 2011).  (Kimberley & Douglas 2025) Similar Species: 932517 Bellura obliqua: "the angle of the reniform relative to the FW costa is important for densa vs obliqua (closer to right angle for densa); also obliqua is usually earlier in the season and has only one flight, densa has two flights, in late spring and late summer; densa usually has a darker purplish tint overall, and a more squared-off forewing shape, and also often with the abdomen sticking out past the wings." - Chris Schmidt (pers. comm. 4/29/2020). Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.) Synonymy: densa (Walker, 1865) (Arzama) - MONA 1983: 9526; TL: Georgia. oecogenes (Dyar, 1913) (Sphida)

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. 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 BugGuide.Net Species Page at Mass Moths Species Page at iNaturalist Walker, F., 1865. Tortricites and Tineites. List of the specimens of lepidopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum, 32: 646.

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