Elaphria nucicolora

Elaphria nucicolora
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Noctuidae
Genus:	Elaphria
Species:	E. nucicolora
Binomial name
Elaphria nucicolora (Guenee, 1852)
Synonyms
Monodes nucicolora Guenee, 1852 Laphygma unisignata Walker, 1856 Caradrina clara Harvey, 1878 Hadena paginata Morrison, 1875 Elaphria paginata (Morrison, 1875) Galgula contraria Herrich-Schäffer, 1868 Elaphria phalega Schaus 1940

Elaphria nucicolora, the sugarcane midget, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. It is found from the south-eastern United States (Florida to North Carolina, west to Texas), through Guadeloupe, Jamaica and Puerto Rico to tropical South America (Peru and French Guiana). It is also present on the Hawiian islands of Oahu, Maui and Hawaii.

The wingspan is about 21 mm. Adults are wing from June to November in Georgia and may be present year round in Florida and the tropics.

Larvae have been recorded feeding on watermelon, Emilia flammea, Euphorbia hirta, Portulaca oleracea, Synedrella nodiflora as well as sugarcane. The caterpillar is nearly uniform dark fuscous, variegated with black.

External links

• Zimmerman, Elwood C. (1958). Insects of Hawaii. Vol. 7 Macrolepidoptera. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu.
• Moths of the French Antilles
• "932226.00 – 9676 – Elaphria nucicolora – Sugarcane Midget Moth – (Guenée, 1852)". North American Moth Photographers Group. Mississippi State University. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
• McLeod, Robin (January 8, 2008). "Species Elaphria nucicolora - Sugarcane Midget - Hodges#9676". BugGuide. Retrieved July 23, 2018.