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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Owlet Moths and kin (Noctuoidea) » Prominent Moths (Notodontidae) » Heterocampinae » Theroa » Theroa zethus - Hodges#8000 (Theroa zethus)

Species Theroa zethus - Hodges#8000

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 Noctuoidea (Owlet Moths and kin)

Family Notodontidae (Prominent Moths)

Subfamily Heterocampinae

Genus Theroa

Species zethus (Theroa zethus - Hodges#8000)

Hodges Number

8000

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Theroa zethus (Druce, 1898)

Dasylophia zethus Druce, 1898

* phylogenetic sequence #930093

Explanation of Names

Zethus is a character from ancient Greek mythology. In Ovid's "Metamorphoses" Amphion and Zethus were the twin sons of Zeus by Antiope. They are important characters in the founding myths of the city of Thebes, named for the wife of Zethus. Hübner previously named a genus of Sphinx Moths for Amphion and Zethus is a genus of wasps described by Fabricius.

Range

Southern Arizona and southern New Mexico. (1)

Moth Photographers Group - large range map with collection dates.

Food

Larvae feed on euphorbs, often girdling host stems and petioles. Known hosts include flowering spurge (Euphorbia corollata) and spotted sandmat (Chamaesyce maculata) (Ganong, Dussourd & Swanson, 2012).

Print References

Druce, H. 1898. Supplement Heterocera. Biologia Centrali-Americana 2: 454

Ganong, C.N., D.E. Dussourd, J.D. Swanson 2012. Girdling by notodontid caterpillars: distribution and occurence. Arthropod-Plant Interactions 6(4): 621-633 (abstract)

Powell, J.A. & P.A. Opler 2009. Moths of Western North America. University of California Press. pl.42.5f (2)

Schaus, W. 1901. Revision of the American Notodontidae. Trans. Royal Ent. Soc. London 1901: 270, pl.11, f.11

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group - range map, living and pinned adults.

BOLD - Barcode of Life Data Systems - collection map and photos of pinned adults.

Moths of southeastern Arizona - photo of pinned adult.

Works Cited

1.	North American Moth Photographers Group

2.	Moths of Western North America Powell and Opler. 2009. UC Press.

Contributed by Charley Eiseman on 22 August, 2009 - 8:59am
Additional contributions by Maury Heiman, Randy Hardy
Last updated 12 May, 2013 - 12:06am

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