Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Species Metalectra diabolica - Diabolical Fungus Moth - Hodges#8503

Unidentified Moth ???  - Metalectra diabolica Metalectria edilis, Hodges #8507 ? - Metalectra diabolica #8503 - Metalectra diabolica? - Metalectra diabolica #8671 - Toxonprucha strigalis? - Metalectra diabolica moth sp. - Metalectra diabolica Diabolical Fungus Moth in Ohio? (Metalectra diabolica) - Metalectra diabolica Diabolical Fungus Moth - Metalectra diabolica Metalectra diabolica? - Metalectra diabolica
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 Erebidae
Subfamily Boletobiinae
Tribe Boletobiini
Genus Metalectra
Species diabolica (Diabolical Fungus Moth - Hodges#8503)
Hodges Number
8503
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Metalectra diabolica Barnes & Benjamin, 1924 (1)
Metalestra[sic] diabolica Barnes & Benjamin, 1924 (2)
Lafontaine & Fibiger (2006) placed Metalectra in Erebidae (formerly of the Noctuidae family). (3)
Phylogenetic sequence # 930683
Size
Barnes & Benjamin (1924) listed the wingspan 18-23 mm. (2)
Identification
Barnes & Benjamin (1924) original description can be viewed online or in PDF.(2)
Determined by Ed Knudson, Texas Lepidoptera Survey.

Specimen identified by DNA analysis (BOLD). (4)
Range
Heppner (2003) reported the range to include North Carolina to Florida, Arkansas to Texas. (5), (6), (7), (8)
On the Oklahoma checklist. (9)
Holotype collected in San Benito, Texas. [USNM] (10)
Moth Photographers Group - large map with some distribution data.
Season
The main flight period appears to be is May to October with May the peak. (11)
Heppner (2003) reported March in Florida. (8)
Food
The larvae feed on fungi. (8)
See Also
Compare on the pinned plates of Moth Photographers Group. (11)
Print References
Barnes, Wm. & F.H. Benjamin, 1924. New species and forms of Lepidoptera (Heterocera). Entomological News and Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 35: 17. (2)
Powell, J.A., & P.A. Opler, 2009. Moths of Western North America. University of California Press, p. 254. (12)