Moth Photographers Group – Trichordestra lilacina

Digital Guide to Moth Identification

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Noctuidae

932889 – 10307 Trichordestra lilacina (Harvey, 1874)

Aster Cutworm

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Distribution Data for Trichordestra lilacina

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Larva and Host Plants:	Host familiy: Asteraceae Asparagaceae[Liliaceae] Betulaceae Fabaceae Poaceae. Host genera: Agrostis Alnus Asparagus Aster[unresolved] Medicago Phleum. Notes: polyphagous on herbs (Forbes 1954); polyphagous on vegetables (Zhang 1994); very broad generalist on many kinds of herbaceous vegetation (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:	lilacina (Harvey, 1874) (Mamestra) - MONA 1983: 10307; TL: "Brewsters, N. Y.". illabefacta (Morrison, 1875) (Mamestra); TL: Beverly, MA. luski (Barnes & McDunnough, 1913) (Polia); TL: White Mts., AZ.
Taxonomic Notes:	Trichordestra lilacina: Formerly placed in the genus Lacanobia.

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.
Barnes, W.M. & J.H. McDunnough, 1913. New North American Lepidoptera with notes on described species. Contributions to the natural history of the Lepidoptera of North America, 2(3): 106.
Harvey, L.F., 1874. Observations on North American moths. Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences, 2: 118.
Morrison, H.K., 1875. Descriptions of new Noctuidae. Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History, 17: 141.
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 Pacific Northwest Moths
Species Page at iNaturalist

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