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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Owlet Moths and kin (Noctuoidea) » Owlet Moths (Noctuidae) » Cutworm or Dart Moths (Noctuinae) » Xylenini » Xylenina » Pinions (Lithophane) » Grote's Pinion - Hodges#9915 (Lithophane grotei)
Photo#490812
dagger moth - Lithophane grotei
Copyright © 2011 stan gilliam

dagger moth - Lithophane grotei
Oak Ridge, Guilford County, North Carolina, USA
February 13, 2011
Size: 23mm
Drawn to porch light on mild winter night.
Based on BG pictures, it most closely resembles
Acronicta inclara, to my eye. I observed no feathers on antennae, so female.
Hodges 9250.
Is that right?
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by stan gilliam on 13 February, 2011 - 11:57am
Last updated 25 February, 2011 - 2:19pm

Moved
Moved from Owlet Moths.
… John R. Maxwell, 25 February, 2011 - 9:47am login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Charley Eiseman, 25 February, 2011 - 9:41am login or register to post comments

Be careful with the
"no feathers on antennae, so female"

I think that is not true of all species/families (I think some have both genders plain and some have both kind of feathery).

In the species where both are feathery but the male is more feathery - so it is relative and you would need to know what the other one looked like to judge if it was more or less.

It is probably better to get a species ID first and then try to figure out if both are plain (you can't get to gender using that feature), or if both are feathery (you need to see if yours is a lot or a little), or if one is plain and one is feathery (then it is easy).
… John R. Maxwell, 16 February, 2011 - 4:46pm login or register to post comments

 
Sexing
Thanks, John, for your interest and information. I learn something new almost every day on BG.
I looked at the Lithophanes, and all the individuals pictured
seem to have similar antennae, though they may be different
by sex under a microscope.
So I should just leave the sex blank?
… stan gilliam, 16 February, 2011 - 8:51pm login or register to post comments

 
Yes
blank if your not sure.
… John R. Maxwell, 16 February, 2011 - 11:55pm login or register to post comments

i look in lithophane
in late fall and winter, when i see big shoulders..thats my first stop. i vote with john
… Edna Woodward, 13 February, 2011 - 4:39pm login or register to post comments

Maybe, but I don't think so
looks more like Lithophane grotei (Grote's Pinion - Hodges#9915) to me. Please wait for an expert to comment (I am not one)
… John R. Maxwell, 13 February, 2011 - 12:16pm login or register to post comments

 
You are
probably right, John.
I looked at the data page on Lithophane grotei, and it is a winter moth, unlike the Acronicta inclara.
Thanks!
… stan gilliam, 13 February, 2011 - 12:42pm login or register to post comments

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