Wild Florida Photo
Nature Photography by Paul Rebmann
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Utetheisa ornatrix
BELLA MOTH
RATTLEBOX MOTH
CALICO MOTH
Synonym: Utetheisa bella
Florida native
In the United States Utetheisa ornatrix is found from Florida northeast into Connecticut, northwest into southeastern Nebraska and southwest into southeastern Arizona, more common in the southern portions of this area. The range of bella moths includes much of Mexico, Central and South America.
Bella moths are highly variable having previously been considered two different species, U. ornatrix and U. bella. They have a pink and yellow forewing marked with rows of black spots surrounded by white. The hindwing is pink with an uneven black border. The wingspan is 3-4.4cm (1-1/8 to 1-3/4 in.).
Host plants include those of the genus Crotalaria, known as rattlebox and leading to one of the common names: rattlebox moth.
In one of the images here a bella moth is caught on a carnivorous plant called Tracy's sundew.
For more information on bella moths see the University of Florida, Dept. of Entomology Featured Creatures page for this species.
Utetheisa ornatrix is a member of the Erebidae - Quadrifid noctuids family.
For more information on this species, visit the following link:
Bugguide.net info page for this species
Date record last modified:
Jan 24, 2019