Schinia avemensis
Encyclopedia
The Gold-edged Gem is a moth
of the Noctuidae
family. It is found in only three colonies in the southern prairie provinces of Canada
, the Spirit Dunes at Spruce Woods Provincial Park
, Manitoba
, the Burstall dunes in south-western Saskatchewan
, and in a small dune complex in the Red Deer River
valley north of Bindloss
. It will probably also be found in other active dune complexes in the southern parts of Alberta
and Saskatchewan
. It has also been recorded from Colorado
.
The wingspan
is 16–18 mm. Adults are on wing from July to August depending on the location.
The larvae feed on Helianthus petiolaris.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Noctuidae
Noctuidae
The Noctuidae or owlet moths are a family of robustly-built moths that includes more than 35,000 known species out of possibly 100,000 total, in more than 4,200 genera. They constitute the largest family in the Lepidoptera....
family. It is found in only three colonies in the southern prairie provinces of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the Spirit Dunes at Spruce Woods Provincial Park
Spruce Woods Provincial Park
Spruce Woods Provincial Park is located in south-central Manitoba, Canada. This park has large sand dunes and the Assiniboine River passes through it.-History:The park was established in 1970...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, the Burstall dunes in south-western Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, and in a small dune complex in the Red Deer River
Red Deer River
The Red Deer River is a river in Alberta, Canada. It is a major tributary of the South Saskatchewan River.Red Deer River has a total length of and a drainage area of...
valley north of Bindloss
Bindloss, Alberta
Bindloss is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within Special Area No. 2. It is located approximately west of Highway 41 and north of Medicine Hat.- References :...
. It will probably also be found in other active dune complexes in the southern parts of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
and Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. It has also been recorded from Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 16–18 mm. Adults are on wing from July to August depending on the location.
The larvae feed on Helianthus petiolaris.