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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Owlet Moths and kin (Noctuoidea) » Owlet Moths (Noctuidae) » Bird Dropping Moths (Acontiinae) » Acontiini » Tarache » Tarache areli - Hodges#9159 (Tarache areli)

Species Tarache areli - Hodges#9159

Classification · Hodges Number · Pronunciation · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · See Also · Internet References · Works Cited
Acontia areli - Tarache areli Tarache areli possible Tarache areli - Tarache areli Another Tarache areli - Tarache areli Tarache areli Tarache areli Tarache areli Tarache areli
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Noctuoidea (Owlet Moths and kin)
Family Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)
Subfamily Acontiinae (Bird Dropping Moths)
Tribe Acontiini
Genus Tarache
Species areli (Tarache areli - Hodges#9159)
Hodges Number
9159
Pronunciation
ta-RA-keh ah-REH-lee
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Author: Strecker, 1898
Acontia areli
Acontia monstrosa (Strand, 1916)
Size
forewing length 10 - 12.5 mm (1)
Identification
Adults - ground color creamy-white over basal half with four irregular pale gray-brown vertical striations, remainder of wing brown with scattered paler areas producing a very sight mottled aspect; prominent white trapezoidal costal patch before apex; orbicular spot an incomplete narrow brown ring with creamy white center; reniform a circular dark ring with internal iridescent blue scales and black pupil; a brown irregular patch below reniform spot with some blue scales extending to inner margin of wing; terminal line and irregular series of dark dashes; fringe scales basally brown, paler at tips, with brown patch below apex and at tornus. Dorsal hindwing (DHW): luminous white, nearly hyaline, with pale brown marginal band; fringe white. Female similar to male, but color generally darker, especially fringes, DHW light brown basally, shading to brown on outer margin (1)
Range
western Texas stretching eastward through New Mexico, Arizona, and southern California. Northward it occurs in the Rocky Mountain States as far as southern British Columbia (from Nearctica)
Habitat
open pinyon-juniper-oak areas and open ponderosa pine forest. Canyons and forested plateaus from 4800-7500' (1)
Season
Adults fly during July and August (1)
See Also
Acontia areli is separated from its congeners by the DFW incompletely dark ringed pale orbicular spot, and from other species in the A. areli group by the black central pupil in reniform spot, irregular inner margin of brown area and associated irregular dark patch on the medial line with some bluish scales, and the buff color of the basal area of the forewing that contrasts with the white preapical spot (1)
Internet References
Moth Photographers Group – images of live & pinned adults
BOLD Systems - images of pinned DNA supported specimens
Moths of SE Arizona - Image of pinned adult
CBIF - Image of pinned adult
Nearctica - species page
Works Cited
1.Review of the Acontia areli group with descriptions of three new species
Clifford Ferris, J. Donald Lafontaine. 2009. ZooKeys 9: 27-46.
Contributed by Jason D. Roberts on 2 August, 2007 - 12:11pm
Additional contributions by Robert Lord Zimlich, Chris Grinter, Randy Hardy
Last updated 16 March, 2013 - 10:47am

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