Species Petrophila hodgesi - Ozark Petrophila - Hodges#4776

4776

Hodges' Petrophila

Petrophila hodgesi (Munroe, 1972)

Parargyractis hodgesi Munroe, 1972

Named in honor of Lepidopterist Ronald W. Hodges.

Very similar to Feather-edged Petrophila (P. fulicalis) and other members of the "fulicalis-species group" in the genus.(1) As a group, they are characterized by the zigzag medial white line near the costa on the FWs, a discal bar in the PM area of the FW consisting of two dark brown lines sandwiched around a thin orange line; HW with speckled PM area and a thin line over some of the submarginal black spots. Munroe states that Hodges' Petrophila has relatively wider wings than Feather-edged and has the PM area of the FW usually as dark as or darker than the brown AM band. The ranges of Hodges' and Feather-edged are apparently contiguous around the margins of the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains (s. Missouri, e. Oklahoma) but the species may not occur in the same sites.

A regional endemic with affinities to the watersheds in the Ozark and Ouachita ecoregions of w. Arkansas, s. Missouri, and e. Oklahoma.

Adults fly May to September, probably two broods (BugGuide, iNaturalist).

Hodges' Petrophila is a regional representative of the fulicalis species group in the genus Petrophila, occupying the Ozark ecoregion of Arkansas, Missouri, and e. Oklahoma. The fulicalis species group includes:

Separating any of the species *within* this group is a major challenge, thus range should be a major consideration.

Sexton, C. W. 2021. Identification and Distribution of the Petrophila fulicalis species group (Crambidae): Taking Advantage of Citizen Science Data. J. Lep. Soc. 75(2):113-127.(1)

Moth Photographers Group (MPG) (2)

The Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) (3)