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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Owlet Moths and kin (Noctuoidea) » Owlet Moths (Noctuidae) » Bird Dropping Moths (Acontiinae) » Acontiini » Acontia

Genus Acontia

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Season · Food · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Chalky Bird Dropping Moth - Acontia cretata

Chalky Bird Dropping Moth? - Acontia chea

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 Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)

Subfamily Acontiinae (Bird Dropping Moths)

Tribe Acontiini

Genus Acontia

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Acontia Ochsenheimer, 1816

Explanation of Names

Generic epithet Acontia is from Greek άκοντίας, an ancient name of the "dart snake," referring to the moth's quick movements. Acontias is a genus of lance skink. (1), (2)

Numbers

5 spp. n. of Mex. - MPG

Identification

Adult - forewing a mix of blackish (usually distally and/or along inner margin) and white patches (usually basally and/or along costa); some species sexually dimorphic; hindwing often whitish but grayish to blackish in several species, usually darker toward outer margin, and often with a pale fringe.

Range

sw US - MPG

Season

mostly: April to September (BG data)

Food

Larvae in this genus feed on a variety of herbaceous and woody plants but individual species often have one or few host plants.

Remarks

Acontia chea

Acontia jaliscana

Acontia cretata Chalky Bird-dropping Moth

Acontia coquillettii

Acontia behrii

Print References

Ochsenheimer, F. 1816. Die schmetterlinge von Europa 4: 92.

Internet References

pinned adult images of numerous species found in the west (Moth Photographers Group)

Works Cited

1.	An accentuated list of the British Lepidoptera, with hints on the derivation of the names. Anonymous. 1858. The Entomological Societies of Oxford and Cambridge.

2.	Dictionary of natural history terms with their derivations, including the various orders, genera, and species. David H. McNicoll. 1863. Lovell Reeve & Company.

Contributed by Robin McLeod on 17 April, 2006 - 2:09pm
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn, Edward Ruden, Randy Hardy
Last updated 30 November, 2019 - 10:36pm

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