Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Noctuidae Scientific name Graphiphora augur | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Graphiphora Rank Species | |
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Similar Anaplectoides prasina, Double square‑spot, Ingrailed clay, Six‑striped rustic, Cerastis rubricosa | ||
Graphiphora augur, the double dart or soothsayer, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in all of Canada and most of the northern parts of the United States, south in the west to California and New Mexico. It is also found throughout Eurasia, from the British Isles and Scandinavia to Siberia and Japan.
Contents
Technical description and variation
The wingspan is 35–42 mm. Forewing uniform brownish grey with a reddish tinge; stigmata concolorous, black-edged; claviform narrow; orbicular variable, round, or flattened, sometimes prolonged to touch inner line; reniform with outer edge swollen in the middle, sometimes followed by a dark shade: hindwing a little paler. hippophaes [Geyer] is a grey form with the reddish tinge wanting; — helvetina Knaggs is a pale blurred form with obscure markings, and the fringe of hindwing pink.
Biology
Adults are on wing from June to August depending on the location. There is one generation per year.
Larva varying from purplish brown to greenish grey with a double row of whitish spots on dorsum and oblique dark streaks; a dark brown blotch across segment 12, swollen at each end, and edged behind with pale.The larvae feed on various trees and shrubs, including Betula, Salix caprea, Salix phylicifolia, Salix cinerea, Populus tremula, Populus balsamifera, Ribes, Rosa species (including Rosa acicularis, Syringa vulgaris and Lonicera caerulea). .