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Photo#165077
Pyralid - Neohelvibotys neohelvialis

Pyralid - Neohelvibotys neohelvialis
Fairfield, Wayne County, Illinois, USA
August 5, 2007
Attracted to my garage light at night. Looks to be something in the Neohelvibotys/Helvibotys group.

Moved

Possibly not Helvibotys helvialis
The outer margin is dark. According to Capps here, Neohelvibotys neohelvialis has outer margin concolorous with the wing markings whereas the outer margin of Helvibotys helvialis is concolorous with the ground color.

Edit: A couple BOLD images from Landry seem to contradict this but I understand that in general older specimens at BOLD may not have been actually tested.

 
Probably Helvibotys helvialis
Dr. Scholtens told me that any Helvibotys/Neohelvibotys north of TN-GA is almost definitely Helvibotys helvialis. See the his comments on the genus page.

 
OK
But did Dr. Scholtens see this one? Wayne County in in southern IL and not that far outside of the known range for Neohelvibotys neohelvialis. The image does not match BOLD images or the description of H. helvialis but seems to match both for N. neohelvialis and there is a BOLD specimen from Maryland which seems further out of range. The MD record looks legit. It was barcoded and resides in the BIN for N. neohelvialis, BOLD:AAA8238.

Might be worth getting his opinion on this one.

 
Ken Childs has told me they're indistinguishable
Without DNA or dissection. I'll ask Dr. Scholtens about it.

 
Another one
If you haven't already done so, send him #445769 from Delaware. That one clearly matches Neohelvibotys neohelvialis.

I also left a comment on one of Ken's submissions here and one of Mark's here which may be of interest. I'm getting the impression that Capps (1967) did get it right so I'll be very interested in what Dr. Scholtens says.

Thanks!

Moved
Moved from Pyraloidea.

Moved
Moved from Moths.

Maybe

 
Agreed
but I don't have a resource that helps me to distinguish between the species. Guess we'll just have to leave at genus.

 
Neohelvibotys or Helvibotys
That is the question? (4980 is close too)

 
Helvibotys species
...and based on location, this should be H. helvialis, the only species of either genus with confirmed records in the northern states.

I asked Bob Patterson about the identity of his photo here from Maryland, and he wasn't sure so he asked Brian Scholtens who said the most northerly records of Neohelvibotys species he's certain of are from the Smokies (North Carolina/Tennessee). I made a helvialis species page with lots more info and links.

 
Thanks!
For going the extra mile. :)

How About....
How about a Hahncappsia jaralis? Look at MPG here for a comparison. (Second row.)

 
I was looking
at the same place. Our Info page says that the PM line in Hahncappsia is toothed which sets it apart from the others. That was what led me to the other possiblities.

 
Toothed
Toothed in a manner like this:



I was trying to identify this specimen of mine when I found it and yours on the same plate and almost next to each other.

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