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For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
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Species Probole alienaria - Alien Probole - Hodges#6837

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 Anagogini
Genus Probole
Species alienaria (Alien Probole - Hodges#6837)

Hodges Number

6837

Other Common Names

Dogwood Probole Moth

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

alienaria determined to be amicaria via DNA

Size

wingspan about 25-27 mm

Habitat

throughout the United States and southern Canada

Remarks

DO NOT ADD IMAGES TO THIS TAXON. For now, all Probole images should be placed under Probole amicaria. See info below and comments in the Moth Forum here.
After revision and DNA work (among numerous other approaches) on the genus by Tim Tomon, it was determined that there is only a single Probole species in North America, and so they have been lumped under the senior name, amicaria. At this point, there is no longer any separate species of nepiasaria, alienaria or nyssaria.
The full publication of his revision doesn't appear to be available yet, correspondence directly with Tim indicates the revision is official. There is this 2007 abstract of the research and forthcoming revision paper: http://esa.confex.com/esa/2007/techprogram/paper_31679.htm; Which in part states,
"Molecular studies measured sequence divergence in the mitochondrial COI gene from various geographical regions, seasonal broods, and morphological types. Several morphological types were reared from isofemale cultures, indicating a lack of support for a classification that includes more than one species. COI sequence data show relatively low intrageneric divergence ( < 2.8%) when compared to other closely related geometrid moths, again indicating a lack of support for recognition of more than one species. As a result of these findings, the genus Probole is treated as containing a single, highly variable species, Probole amicaria (Herrich-Schäffer)."

Print References

Herrich-Schäffer, 1855. Sammlung neuer oder wenig bekannter aussereuropäischer Schmetterlinge. plate 64, fig. 364

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group (MPG) (1)
The Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) (2)
Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)(3)
E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum (4)
Moths of Canada - Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility (CBIF)
Moth Photographers Group - photograph of pinned adult and related species for comparison.

Works Cited

1.North American Moth Photographers Group
2.BOLD: The Barcode of Life Data Systems
3.Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)
4.University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum
Contributed by Lynette Elliott on 25 April, 2006 - 6:00pm
Additional contributions by Steve Nanz, Chuck Entz, Jason D. Roberts, Maury Heiman, Fyn Kynd
Last updated 13 June, 2016 - 11:50am

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