Species Caenurgia chloropha - Vetch Looper Moth - Hodges#8733

8733

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

wingspan about 25 mm, based on photo by Jim Vargo at MPG

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:

southeastern United States

egg; larva; adult male:

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.

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)

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)