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Species Diastictis fracturalis - Fractured Western Snout Moth - Hodges#5256

Diastictis fracturalis N0. 37 Diastictis fracturalis--5256? - Diastictis fracturalis 5256 - Diastictis fracturalis Moth, spread ventral - Diastictis fracturalis Fractured Western Snout Moth - Diastictis fracturalis Arizona Moth - Diastictis fracturalis Diastictis fracturalis? - Diastictis fracturalis Diastictis fracturalis
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 Pyraloidea (Pyralid and Crambid Snout Moths)
Family Crambidae (Crambid Snout Moths)
Subfamily Spilomelinae
Genus Diastictis
Species fracturalis (Fractured Western Snout Moth - Hodges#5256)
Hodges Number
5256
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Diastictis fracturalis (Zeller, 1872) (1)
Anomostictis fracturalis Warren, 1892
Numbers
There are nine named species of the genus Diastictis in America north of Mexico. (2), (3), (4)
Size
Forewing length 9.5-14.5 mm. (2)
Identification
Powell & Opler (2009) described as pale tan to dark brown with highly variable silvery markings, from small, isolated spots to elongated, connected ones. (2)
Range
Powell & Opler (2009) reported the range to include California(5) to Arkansas and Texas(6). (2)
Moth Photographers Group and Bug Guide shows California to South Dakota, Colorado and Louisiana. (4)
Also found in Mexico, Northern Sonora (Morrison), Amula in Guerrero 6000 feet {H. H. Smith), Jalisco (Schumann).
Moth Photographers Group - large map with some distribution data.
Season
The main flight period appears to be February to October. (4)
Powell & Opler (2009) reported adults fly February through November in coastal California. (2)
Remarks
"This is the most variable species of the genus, and, although there seem to be geographical differences in norms, the whole gamut of variation is represented in most parts of the range. There is a high proportion of specimens with small spots in Texas, and of pale specimens in Arizona, but there is nothing approaching a degree of differentiation that would justify the separation of subspecies. I can see no clear seasonal separation between pale and dark individuals" (Munroe, 1956) (1)
Print References
Monroe, E., 1956. Restriction and revision of the genus Diastictis Hübner (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). The Canadian Entomologist, 88:(1)
Powell, J.A., & P.A. Opler, 2009. Moths of Western North America. University of California Press. p. 180.(2)