''Psammopolia wyatti'' is a

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

of the family

Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family (biology), family of moths. Taxonomically, they are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because many of the clades are constantly ...

first described by

William Barnes William Barnes (22 February 1801 – 7 October 1886) was an English polymath, writer, poet, philologist, priest, mathematician, engraving artist and inventor. He wrote over 800 poems, some in Dorset dialect, and much other work, including a co ...

and

Foster Hendrickson Benjamin Foster Hendrickson Benjamin (17 September 1895 – 24 January 1936) was an American entomologist and lepidopterist. Biography Benjamin was born in Brooklyn, New York. He was friends with George P. Engelhardt and Jacob Doll, who introduced him to e ...

in 1926. It occurs in western North America from southern

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

to the

Queen Charlotte Islands Haida Gwaii (; / , literally "Islands of the Haida people"), previously known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, is an archipelago located between off the northern Pacific coast in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The islands are separ ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

. The moth has been included in both 1983 and 2010 MONA indices. Adults fly over sand beaches, are nocturnal, and come to light. Adults are on wing from late May to early September. The larvae feed on '' Polygonum paronychia'', '' Abronia latifolia'', ''

Tanacetum camphoratum ''Tanacetum camphoratum'' is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names camphor tansy and dune tansy. Taxonomy It was formerly known as ''Tanacetum douglasii'', now a synonym, and is often included in '' T. bip ...

'' and grass.

References

External links

A Revision of ''Lasionycta'' Aurivillius (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) for North America and notes on Eurasian species, with descriptions of 17 new species, 6 new subspecies, a new genus, and two new species of ''Tricholita'' Grote
Hadeninae Moths of North America Moths described in 1926 Taxa named by William Barnes (entomologist) Taxa named by Foster Hendrickson Benjamin {{Hadeninae-stub