Species Maliattha synochitis - Black-dotted Maliattha - Hodges#9049

9049

• Black-dotted Glyph (a)

• Black-dotted Lithacodia (formerly)

Maliattha synochitis (Grote & Robinson)

Orig. Comb: Erastria synochitis Grote & Robinson, 1868

Syn: Lithacodia synochitis (Grote & Robinson)

one of two species in the genus in North America

TL ≈ 10-12mm

WS ≈ 17-21mm

Adult: FW mottled with light green shading in basal. median and ST areas • median with triangular green patch at inner margin, forming a saddle • orbicular with tiny black dot • Two black sub-apical dashes • HW white with grayish-brown shading and trace of median line • Abdomen - first four segments with successively larger black tufts.

TX-FL-NS-ND (plus a few outer strays) - Map (MPG)

Univoltine on Block Island, RI, flying mainly June and July.(1)

larvae feed on grasses (2)

Maliattha synochitis is the name used in Kristensen N.P. (1999) [Lepidoptera: Moths and butterflies. Volume 1: Evolution, systematics and biogeography. Handbook of Zoology. Walter de Gruyter. Berlin/New York], and followed by The Moths of Canada, and Charles Covell on pages xiii-xvi in the 2nd edition of Moths of Eastern North America (2005).

Apparently expanding its range northward: first reported in Canada in 1993 at Port Franks, Ontario, M. synochitis is now found in every province from Nova Scotia to Saskatchewan.

Moth Photographers Group – MPG

BOLD Systems - images of pinned DNA supported specimens

Moths of North Dakota – brief description and image of pinned adult

live adult image (Lynn Scott, Ontario)

pinned adult image (CBIF)

adult image (Larry Line, Maryland)