« Previous Day: Coprinus comatus |
Main
| Next Day: Nerine bowdenii »
Feb 8, 2010: Pandanus tectorius
Feb 9, 2009:
Ludisia discolor
Feb 9, 2007:
Leptospermum rotundifolium
Feb 9, 2006:
Eriophyllum lanatum var. lanatum
October 13, 2005 : Zinnia haageana 'Old Mexico' and Autographa californica
Interested in subscribing? Visit the main Botany Photo of the Day page and fill out the form in the upper right corner!
Keywords: Asteraceae | Zinnia haageana 'Old Mexico' / Lepidoptera | Noctuidae | Autographa californica (Speyer) | UBC Botanical Garden
Zinnia haageana 'Old Mexico' is an All-America Selections Winner from forty-three years ago –, a cultivar that has stood the test of time. Considering its performance in trials done by The Gardens at the University of Georgia, that decades-long popularity is no wonder. It has performed similarly well this year at UBC.
Autographa californica is the moth, commonly known as the alfalfa looper. The sickle-shaped white spot on the wing is an easy diagnostic feature.
The adult moth does no damage, while the caterpillar is rarely present in numbers large enough to have an economic impact on crops. In fact, the University of California Integrated Pest Management Program for cotton and loopers states: “Moderate populations of loopers may be more beneficial than harmful, as they support populations of natural enemies that also attack the more destructive bollworms, budworms, and beet armyworms.”. Similar statements are made on the site regarding loopers and other Californian crops such as lettuce, artichoke and tomatoes. Along with a suite of predators, alfalfa looper is also susceptible to a baculovirus.
Botany / conservation resource link: Botanic Gardens Conservation International “brings together the world’s botanic gardens to work for plant conservation through science, education and horticulture.”
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at October 13, 2005 3:18 AM
Comments
...or read recent comments on all BPotD Entries
Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!
Post a comment
XML Feeds: Atom | RSS 2.0 | RSS 1.0 | What is RSS? | RSS Tools
Botany Photo of the Day and associated images by UBC Botanical Garden staff are licensed under a Creative Commons License. Images and text by non-UBC contributors are copyright the respective photographers / authors (but often have Creative Commons licenses if contributed via Flickr).
About Botany Photo of the Day | Submit Your Photos via Flickr | Submit Your Photos via UBCBG's Discussion Forums
Botany Photo of the Day is a project of the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research, located in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. UBC BGCPR is a department of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems within The University of British Columbia.