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🚨 ARTHROPOD OF THE DAY 🚨

The adult ornate bella moth is a rather small moth (wingspan 3.0 to 4.5 cm). The more common "bella" form has the front wings yellow with white bands each containing a row of black dots, and the hindwings bright pink with an irregular marginal black band. The paler form originally designated "ornatrix" is restricted to southern Florida and southern Texas.

The bella moth has two generations northward
but may breed continuously in the southernmost parts
of its range. Eggs are laid in clusters on the foliage.
Upon hatching, the young larvae feed on the foliage,
but later move to the pods which they bore into to
feed on the seeds. Upon reaching maturity, larvae migrate from the host plant to pupate in sheltered
situations under loose bark on nearby trees, in thick
vegetation, or in debris.

Adult bella moths live approximately three
weeks and females mate on average four to five times
-- each time receiving additional nutrients and
alkaloids via the spermatophores. The additional
nutrients and alkaloids allow the female to lay a
larger number of eggs than would otherwise be
possible and also to continue to invest sufficient
amounts of alkaloids in the eggs.

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