Hodges #5279 - Herpetogramma theseusalis?- #5244 - Herpetogramma fluctuosalis

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Pyralid and Crambid Snout Moths (Pyraloidea) » Crambid Snout Moths (Crambidae) » Spilomelinae » Herpetogrammatini » Herpetogramma » Greater Sweet Potato Webworm Moth - Hodges#5244 (Herpetogramma fluctuosalis)

Photo#1735533

Copyright © 2019 Peter Homann

Hodges #5279 - Herpetogramma theseusalis?- #5244 - Herpetogramma fluctuosalis

Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida, USA
November 23, 2013
Size: Forewing ≈12mm

Attracted to light. I have this one in my files as #5244 Herpetogramma fluctuosalis but the PM lines suggest to me that it is #5279 Herpetogramma theseusalis instead. Alma Solis in her article referenced on this BugGuide page mentions as distinctive feature of the species the forewing's PM line being "straight between M2 and costa" as it is on my moth. I rule out as an alternative ID the very similar looking #5278 Herpetogramma centrostrigalis that does not yet have a BugGuide page and is documented in MPG with a photo by Alma Solis. In her article she lists its forewing length to be "15mm or longer", considerably longer than what I measured for my moth.

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Contributed by Peter Homann on 5 October, 2019 - 3:33pm
Last updated 21 October, 2019 - 3:14pm

Moved

Moved from Butterflies and Moths.

… Peter Homann, 21 October, 2019 - 3:14pm

H. fluctuosalis

I was correct 6 yrs ago - it is #5244 Herpetogramma fluctuosalis. After consulting a more knowledgeable lepidopterist than I am and revisiting Alma Solis' article mentioned in my original comment, I realize that some H. fluctuosalis have a straight PM section emerging at the costa that I thought to be diagnostic foe H theseusalis. Moreover, the overall appearance is too yellow for being a theseusalis and the "marginal shade" Alma Solis writes about, rather faint on my moth, is somewhat diatant from the PM line and not adjacent as it would be on theseusalis.

… Peter Homann, 21 October, 2019 - 9:43am

Moved

Moved from ID Request.

… Peter Homann, 6 October, 2019 - 2:31pm

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