''Saucrobotys futilalis'', the dogbane saucrobotys moth, is a

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of ...

in the family

Crambidae The Crambidae are the grass moth family of lepidopterans. They are variable in appearance, the nominal subfamily Crambinae (grass moths) taking up closely folded postures on grass stems where they are inconspicuous, while other subfamilies includ ...

. It was described by Julius Lederer in 1863. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from the north-east to

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...

and south to

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

and

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

. The length of the forewings is 14–16 mm. Adults are powdery tan to orange, with a faint paler pattern. Adults are on wing from May to July. The larvae feed on ''

Apocynum ''Apocynum'', commonly known as dogbane or Indian hemp, is a small genus of the flowering plant family Apocynaceae. Its name comes from Ancient Greek , from "away" and "dog", referring to dogbane (''Cionura erecta''), which was used to poiso ...

'' (including ''

Apocynum cannabinum ''Apocynum cannabinum'' (dogbane, amy root, hemp dogbane, prairie dogbane, Indian hemp, rheumatism root, or wild cotton) is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows throughout much of North America—in the southern half of Canada and througho ...

'') and ''

Asclepias ''Asclepias'' is a genus of herbaceous, perennial, flowering plants known as milkweeds, named for their latex, a milky substance containing cardiac glycosides termed cardenolides, exuded where cells are damaged. Most species are toxic to human ...

'' species (including ''

Asclepias tuberosa ''Asclepias tuberosa'', commonly known as butterfly weed, is a species of milkweed native to eastern and southwestern North America. It is commonly known as butterfly weed because of the butterflies that are attracted to the plant by its color ...

''). They create silken nests on the host plant. The caterpillars also defend against predation by regurgitating the contents of their guts.

Subspecies

*''Saucrobotys futilalis futilalis'' (Quebec to Manitoba, Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania) *''Saucrobotys futilalis inconcinnalis'' (Lederer, 1863) (Alberta and British Columbia to California, Arizona, Texas) Saucrobotys futilalis larvae web

References

Moths described in 1863 Pyraustinae Moths of North America {{Pyraustinae-stub