Utetheisa ornatrix is found from southeastern United States to South America (southeast Brazil). Females choose males according to the intensity of a courtship pheromone, hydroxydanaidal, and carry out a sperm selection process after copulation with various males. Females mate multiply and receive spermatophores containing sperm, nutrients and alkaloid compounds from numerous males as nuptial gifts. The bella moth also demonstrates complex mating strategies and is thus an excellent model to study sexual selection. Larvae may prey on other bella moth larvae in order to compensate for any alkaloid deficiency. The larvae usually feed on Crotalaria species, which contain poisonous alkaloid compounds that render them unpalatable to most predators.
Now it is united with the bella moth in Utetheisa ornatrix. Formerly, the bella moth or beautiful utetheisa of temperate eastern North America was separated as Utetheisa bella. Unlike most moths, the bella moth is diurnal. Moths reside in temperate midwestern and eastern North America as well as throughout Mexico and other parts of Central America. It is aposematically colored ranging from pink, red, orange and yellow to white coloration with black markings arranged in varying patterns on its wings. Utetheisa ornatrix, also called the ornate bella moth, ornate moth, bella moth or rattlebox moth is a moth of the subfamily Arctiinae.
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