Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Crambidae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Uresiphita | |
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Similar Uresiphita, Butterflies and moths, Achyra rantalis, Nomophila nearctica, Udea rubigalis | ||
Uresiphita reversalis, the genista broom moth or sophora worm, is a moth in the Crambidae family. It was described by Guenée in 1854. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Nova Scotia to Florida, west to California, north to Colorado, Nebraska and Iowa It is also found in Mexico and Cuba, Bermuda, Puerto Rico and Jamaica.
The wingspan is 27–34 mm. The forewings are light to medium brown with dark antemedial and postmedial lines and two dark discal spots. The hindwings are yellow or orange with brownish-grey shading at the apex. Adults are on wing year-round in multiple generations per year in the southern part of the range.
The larvae feed on Acacia, Lonicera, Baptisia (including Baptista leucantha), Genista (including Genista monspessulana) and Lupinus species (including Lupinus arboreus), Sophora secundiflora, Lagerstroemia indica, Cytius scoparius and Cytius striatus. The larvae have a brownish-green body and a black head with white dots. The species usually overwinters in the pupal stage, but may also overwinter as an adult.
