Schinia mitis
Encyclopedia
The Matutinal Flower Moth (Schinia mitis) is a moth
of the Noctuidae
family. It is found from central Florida
, north to Georgia
and west to eastern Texas
.
Adults are on wing from April to June, but there are also records from September and November. It is a day flying moth, which is only active for a few hours in the morning, when the flowers of it’s host plant are open.
The larvae feed on Pyrrhopappus
species.
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 from central Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, north to Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and west to eastern Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Adults are on wing from April to June, but there are also records from September and November. It is a day flying moth, which is only active for a few hours in the morning, when the flowers of it’s host plant are open.
The larvae feed on Pyrrhopappus
Pyrrhopappus
Pyrrhopappus is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family....
species.