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Field Guide Descriptions: | Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, GBIF, BOLD | Technical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954); Poole (1995) | Technical Description, Immature Stages: Poole (1995); Wagner et al. 2011) | |
| Adult Markings: A medium-sized, contrastingly marked yellow and brown Noctuid. The top of the head and most of the forewings are ochre to bright yellow, strongly contrasting with the brown thorax and spots at the base of the forewing, a saddle at the midpoint of the inner margin, and the terminal area. Hindwings are whitish (Forbes, 1954). Other species of Stiria are very similar but do not occur in the East. Azena obtusa has similar contrasting yellow and brown markings but is much smaller and has two brown spots along the costal margin and one in the cell; the brown band along the terminal area is missing. |
| Wingspan: 35-40 mm (Forbes, 1954) |
| Forewing Length: 19.45 mm (average, Poole, 1995) |
| Adult Structural Features: Male reproductive structures are described and illustrated by Forbes (1954) and Poole (1995) and are distinctive. Female structures are illustrated by Poole. |
| Structural photos |
Male reproductive structures |
Aedeagus |
Abdominal pelt |
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| Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens. |
| Immatures and Development: Larvae are yellow and brown, with numerous warts of the same color. They live up on the flowers of their host plants where they are well camouflaged. A detailed description of the larval behavior is provided by Wagner et al. (2011), who also provide photographs. |
| Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants. |