Species Toxonprucha crudelis - Cruel Toxonprucha - Hodges#8674

8674

Toxonprucha crudelis (Grote, 1882)

Yrias crudelis Grote, 1882

* phylogenetic sequence #931001

Crudelis is Latin for "cruel".

Wingspan about 20-24 mm.

Larva to about 25 mm. (1)

Larva - whitish gray, sometimed with a purple tinge, pale and broken middorsal stripe, purple stripe just above the legs; head white, brown in front and black posteriorly. (1)

Adult - forewing light brownish-gray, usually with discernible AM, median, PM, and subterminal lines; small black patch just inside subterminal line at costa has notch in lower corner; PM line bulges slightly outward below reniform spot, then continues in wavy line to inner margin; reniform spot represented by pale irregular blotch; diffuse blackish shading overlies much of median line; dark shading in terminal area, sometimes with reddish tint; terminal line black, scalloped; fringe pale, checkered with dark scales at vein tips; hindwing with similar color and pattern as forewing.

Genitalia:

Texas to California. (1)

Crumb reported the larval host as "catclaw (Acacia)." (1)

In other Toxonprucha species, either the forewing's black costal patch is outside the subterminal line, or the PM line is shaped very differently, touching the median line in the center of the wing.

Crumb, S.E. 1956. The larvae of the Phalaenidae. USDA Technical Bulletin 1135: 283 (1)

Grote, A.R. 1882. New species and notes on structure of moths and genera. The Canadian Entomologist 14(12): 237

Moth Photographers Group

Moths of Southeastern Arizona

presence in California; list of 2 specimen records with dates and locations (U. of California at Berkeley)

presence in Texas; list (Dale Clark, Texas)