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Hodebertia testalis - Hodges#5199.6 (Hodebertia testalis)
Photo#226408
Copyright © 2008
Lisa M. Reid
Another view of the moth -
Hodebertia testalis
La Porte, Harris County, Texas, USA
September 15, 2008
Images of this individual:
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Contributed by
Lisa M. Reid
on 18 September, 2008 - 5:10pm
Last updated 27 September, 2015 - 10:48am
A note from Dr. Brian Scholtens
"I think Steve is probably correct on the ID of
Hodebertia
. The rearing on
Asclepias
is a really important clue. I noted that a bunch of specimens are in the USNM, so I can have Alma Solis take a look also."
…
Kyhl Austin
, 9 March, 2016 - 10:30am
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From Dr. James Hayden
"...I agree, it could tentatively be Hodebertia testalis. I do not know much about that species. Your first photograph does look like photos on line. Unlike Hahncappsia coloradensis, the FW PM line has an inward dash between M3 and CuA1, and the HW lines are pronounced. (We have specimens of that species but not of H. testalis.) It is widespread in the Old World and a strong disperser, so look out for more. If it's like Diaphania costata, which also feeds on Apocynaceae, it could spread for years under the radar unless people get out and look! On the other hand, 2008 was eight years ago..."
…
Steve Nanz
, 22 March, 2016 - 3:55am
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Moved to Hodebertia testalis
Moved from
Hahncappsia coloradensis
.
Tentative ID. See discussion below.
BOLD does show records from Costa Rica.
…
Steve Nanz
, 27 September, 2015 - 10:48am
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Hodebertia testalis!?
A description of
Hahncappsia coloradensis
larvae can be found
here
and although I know next to nothing about caterpillars, is seems way off for it to be this species and the host plant as Charley points out is sunflower.
The adult image above, however, is a near perfect match for the African species,
Hodebertia testalis
, which does feed on
Asclepias
. See info
here
. I was not able to find a description of the larvae.
I this is
H. testalis
, it would be new to the US I think and might be bad news for milkweed.
…
Steve Nanz
, 27 September, 2015 - 5:15am
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Nice detective work
Sure seems like a good match to me.
…
Charley Eiseman
, 27 September, 2015 - 7:49am
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Couple Questions
I'll make a page for it and move it there as a tentative ID unless I hear an objection.
Should this be reported to a government agency and if so to what agency and how? A non-native species, if that's what this is, feeding on milkweed seems like a potential problem.
I've been searching all morning for a description of the larvae. This has been described several times as different species and the genus has changed several time making it difficult due to all the different combinations. Any thoughts on a source?
The funny thing is that this may be the second example. Last May, I found a BugGuide example
here
that I though might be
Sitochroa dasconalis
, a species which apparently has been confused with
testalis
. My first thought was that this might be
S. dasconalis
as well. I dismissed
testalis
because of the range but now have to reconsider. The host plant for
S. dasconalis
is
Baptisia
.
…
Steve Nanz
, 27 September, 2015 - 8:07am
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I say, go ahead and move it to a new page
I don't know what government agency might be interested. My approach would be to try and acquire some actual specimens, get them deposited in a collection, and publish the record in the Lep Soc journal.
Of the sources listed in the African moths database, this one seems the most likely to have some kind of description of the larva:
Wollaston T. V. 1879. Notes on the Lepidoptera of St. Helena, with descriptions of new species. - Annals and Magazine of Natural History (5)3:(15) 219–233, (17) 329–343, (18) 415–441.
I wouldn't have recognized that Iowa moth as the same thing, but it does appear to be on a milkweed leaf.
…
Charley Eiseman
, 27 September, 2015 - 8:21am
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Placement
I was about to add the page and realized that it goes in Spilomelini. The problem is that Spilomelini got bumped up to subfamily in 2012. I added a discussion to the Moth Forum
here
that you might want to look at.
For now I will put this in Spilomelini.
…
Steve Nanz
, 27 September, 2015 - 8:35am
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Herpetogramma
This looks closest to
Two-spotted Herpetogramma -- Herpetogramma bipunctalis
…
David E. Reed
, 18 September, 2008 - 6:01pm
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Thanks!
Do the caterpillars of this moth eat milkweed?
…
Lisa M. Reid
, 18 September, 2008 - 7:42pm
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Herpetogramma
I can find no articles that say so. They are considered a major pest of Amaranthus sp. I find only one very poor photo of the larva but it's a PDF and you'll have to find it by typing "major pests of callaloo" into a google search. The first result will be the PDF you want. If you can't get it, send me your e-mail address & I'll send the PDF to you.
Sorry I can't be of more help.
…
David E. Reed
, 18 September, 2008 - 8:40pm
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Identification
but unable to find any further information. It has been identified as a Pyralid Hahncappsia coloradensis. No one seems to know anything more than that, like where it's range is, the larval food plant (mine were eating milkweed), etc.
…
Lisa M. Reid
, 19 September, 2008 - 3:34pm
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Food plant
Hahncappsia coloradensis
is listed
here
as feeding on
Helianthus
, which is sunflower. Very strange for a species that doesn't specialize in milkweed to be feeding on it.
Was the moth identified by a specialist? This is a new species for BugGuide, so if the ID is certain we can make a guide page for it.
…
Charley Eiseman
, 3 October, 2008 - 1:04am
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Identification
It was identified by
Charles Bordelon, VP/EIC
Texas Lepidoptera Survey
8517 Burkhart Rd.
Houston , TX 77055
I know in my looking around on the internet that I was unable to find anything that eats milkweed other than monarch and tiger moth caterpillars, but the photos I find on Pyralidae. Hahncappsia coloradensis match the moth that emerged from my caterpillars. Sooo, I guess we have a new species!
…
Lisa M. Reid
, 3 October, 2008 - 8:12am
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Great!
Your pics are now in their proper place. I cropped the adult images so that the moth fills the frame; this makes it easier to see in the thumbnails, and also allows more detail to be seen (since only editors and you have the option to click "full size" to see the larger image).
…
Charley Eiseman
, 3 October, 2008 - 10:30am
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Thank you!
I'm glad we finally have this mystery solved!
…
Lisa M. Reid
, 3 October, 2008 - 12:23pm
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