Skip to main content
Close

Red Shouldered Ctenucha

Ctenucha rubroscapus

Photo by JudyCrawford
Published on Project Noah
Zoom
NominateNominate for Wildlife Photograph of the Month
reportFlag Spotting

45.4898, -123.959

Field Notes

Description:

I see several of these flying around the greenery around our viewing platform at Cape Meares, Oregon every day we work. They just showed up about 3 weeks ago (mid-July)

Notes:

Found on the coast in Northern Oregon.

Species ID Suggestions

Virginia Ctenucha

Ctenucha virginica

Comments (5)

Thank you two. I agree with Dan on the ID, but that's because I see them flying and sitting all the time here. I neglected to say that many of them have a lovely creamy yellow line at the bottom of the wing.
Latimeria, I really appreciate the extra info on this one. It made me do some more searching too and I now think it is Yellow-collared Scape Moth (Cisseps fulvicollis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisseps_fulvicollis I'm basing this on a few things. Most of the photos I see online of Harrisina americana are with it's wings open, never/rarely with them in this spottings position. Perhaps the ones that were like were misidentified? I believe the orange patch is quite large on this one too, according to The Backyard Arthropod Project " Cisseps fulvicollis has a larger orange patch that runs straight across the thorax, while Ctenucha virginica has a smaller orange patch that kind of “drapes around the shoulders” http://somethingscrawlinginmyhair.com/2007/09/09/so-how-do-you-prononce-ctenucha-anyway/ But of course I could be wrong too!
You might want to check the section under "Remarks" on this page: http://bugguide.net/node/view/447. There are three moths that are very similar, Ctenucha virginica, Cisseps fulvicollis, and Harrisina americana, and I haven't figured out how to tell them apart yet. Range might help, but I haven't figured it out based on physical characteristics. Not to cast doubt on Dan's suggestion of course, you might know more than me about this species! Just wanted to put that information out there.
Photographed
PublishedAugust 18, 2011

Accelerate our Mission to Photograph 
Every Species in the World!

Image
Butterflies icon

Wildlife Community

Wildlife Community

Join a worldwide community passionate about wildlife and nature!

Join Project Noah

Nature School

Nature School

Transform your green space into a curiosity-creating nature classroom!

Visit Nature School

Wildlife Game

Wildlife Game

Defend wildlife throughout the jungle in thrilling nature game!

Play Baboon