Genus Panthea

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Food · Remarks · Internet References · Works Cited

Eastern Panthea - Panthea furcilla - male

Panthea furcilla – Eastern Panthea Moth - Panthea furcilla

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 Pantheinae

Genus Panthea

Explanation of Names

Panthea is from Greek, meaning "of all gods" or something to that effect.

Numbers

Nearctica.com lists seven species in the genus, but one of them (P. portlandia) is listed as a synonym of P. virginarius at All-Leps - which lists 6 species in North America: acronyctoides, angelica, furcilla, gigantea, pallescens, virginarius

Size

approximately 3-6 cm wingspan

Identification

Adults - robust, medium-sized noctuid moths with a forewing pattern of five black lines crossing a white or gray ground with the normal spots (reniform, orbicular and claviform) obsolete or nearly so. The extent of sexual dimorphism varies in expression among species, and where it occurs it is expressed as females being larger and darker than males. Male antennae are bipectinate, female antennae simple (1)

Range

holarctic

Food

The hairy larvae of all species, so far as is known, feed only on needles of conifers (1)

Remarks

Melanism is frequent in some eastern populations of P. furcilla, and has also been reported for P. furcilla australis and some eastern populations of nominate P. acronyctoides (1)

Internet References

live larva image of Black Zigzag (Panthea acronyctoides) by Chris Maier, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (invasive.org)

pinned adult images of the 4 species occurring in Canada [acronyctoides, gigantea, pallescens, virginarius] (CBIF)

Works Cited

1.	Revision of the New World Panthea Gary G. Anweiler. 2009. ZooKeys 9: 97-134.

Contributed by Cotinis on 8 May, 2004 - 6:30am
Additional contributions by Mike Boone, Robin McLeod, Randy Hardy
Last updated 19 July, 2011 - 8:59pm

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