Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Caenurgia chloropha (Hübner, 1818)
Drasteria chlorophis Herrich-Schäffer, 1869
Caenurgia purgata Walker, 1858
Caenurgia socors Walker, 1858
Drasteria convalescens Guenée, 1852
Xestia chloropha Hübner, 1818
phylogenetic sequence # 930938
Size
wingspan about 25 mm, based on photo by Jim Vargo at MPG
Identification
Adult: forewing light to medium brown, paler toward base, and sometimes with reddish tinge distally; wing crossed by four indistinct lines, slightly darker than ground color; AM line arc-shaped, slightly concave (a distinctive feature); small black dot near costa between first and second lines; large blackish reniform spot halfway along postmedial line; subterminal line composed of several evenly-spaced black dots
Specimen identified by DNA analysis:
Range
southeastern United States
Remarks
Because of the similarity in spelling, this genus (
Caenurgia) is sometimes confused with
Caenurgina, a genus in the same subfamily and tribe as
Caenurgia.
This species is listed for Ontario in the NHIC database
here but the species name does not appear on the
Moths of Canada site.
See Also
Caenurgina erechtea forewing AM line curves outward near inner margin; both eastern
Caenurgina species usually have double dark spot along costa near apex (
see photos of both eastern species of
Caenurgina at CBIF)
Internet References
live and pinned adult images by various photographers, plus common name reference (Moth Photographers Group)
14 pinned adult images and collection site map showing southeastern distribution (All-Leps)
live adult image of
C. chloropha [mislabeled as a Pyralid] (Darryl Searcy, Alabama)
common name reference (conserveonline.org)