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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Geometrid and Swallowtail Moths (Geometroidea) » Geometrid Moths (Geometridae) » Ennominae » Ourapterygini » Meris » Meris paradoxa - Hodges#6877 (Meris paradoxa)

Species Meris paradoxa - Hodges#6877

Classification · Hodges Number · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Season · Food · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Meris paradoxa 2 day old larva. - Meris paradoxa

Meris paradoxa 31 day old larva. - Meris paradoxa

Meris paradoxa 45 day old larva. - Meris paradoxa

Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Superfamily Geometroidea (Geometrid and Swallowtail Moths)

Family Geometridae (Geometrid Moths)

Subfamily Ennominae

Tribe Ourapterygini

Genus Meris

Species paradoxa (Meris paradoxa - Hodges#6877)

Hodges Number

6877

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Meris paradoxa Rindge, 1981 (1)

* phylogenetic sequence #202450

Explanation of Names

From Latin paradoxus, strange or contrary to expectation. (1)

Size

Forewing length 18-19 mm.

Larva to 45 mm.

Pupa 15 mm.

Identification

Adult - thinly scaled, slightly transparent, pale buff with scattered brown and grayish scaling; maculation weakly represented, cross lines grayish brown, tending to be broad, incomplete. (1)

Larva - brightly colored and boldy patterned, black and yellow on a white background.

Range

Southern Arizona: described from the Santa Rita Mountains, BugGuide records from the Huachuca Mountains.

Type Location: Madera Canyon, Santa Rita Mtns, AZ. (1)

Season

Adults fly April and August. (1)

Food

Native host plant is snapdragon vine, also know as roving sailor (Maurandya antirrhiniflora) (Boros, Stermitz, McFarland, 1991). Will take common snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) in captivity (McFarland).

Print References

Boros, C.A., F.R. Stermitz, N. McFarland 1991. Processing of iridoid glycoside antirrinoside from Maurandya antirrhiniflora (Scrophulariaceae) by Meris paradoxa (Geometridae) and Lepipolys species (Noctuidae). Journal of Chemical Ecology 17(6): 1123-1133 (abstract)

Rindge, F.H. 1981. A revision of the moth genera Meris and Nemeris. American Museum Novitates 2710: 1-28 (PDF)

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group - species page

Works Cited

1.	A revision of the moth genera Meris and Nemeris Fredrick H. Rindge. 1981. American Museum Novitates 2710: 1-28.

Contributed by john and jane balaban on 11 June, 2009 - 10:53am
Additional contributions by Chuck Entz, Randy Hardy
Last updated 6 May, 2013 - 6:13pm

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