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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Owlet Moths and kin (Noctuoidea) » Owlet Moths (Noctuidae) » Condicinae » Condicini » Micrathetis

Genus Micrathetis

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Season · See Also · Internet References

Micrathetis costiplaga 9645 - Micrathetis costiplaga

Please help us to identify this moth. - Micrathetis triplex

Triplex Cutworm Moth - Micrathetis triplex - male

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 Condicinae

Tribe Condicini

Genus Micrathetis

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Author: Hampson, 1908

Explanation of Names

possibly from Greek mythology and Ovid's poem Metamorphoses, where, naturally, many names of Lepidoptera are derived. Micra is Greek for small and Thetis, a sea nymph or known as the goddess of water

Numbers

4 species in North America listed at All-Leps

Size

wingspan 15-24 mm

Identification

Adult: forewing pale yellowish to light brown in male (darker brown in female) with blackish spots; fringe gray to blackish; hindwing white to pale brownish-gray with dark terminal line and white fringe

Range

southern United States to southern South America

Season

adults fly until September in the north; probably year-round farther south

See Also

forewing color and pattern similar to some species of Caradrina, which are usually darker in subterminal or terminal area

Internet References

pinned adult images of M. costiplaga and M. triplex plus photos of related species by Jim Vargo (Moth Photographers Group)

10 pinned adult images of M. triplex (All-Leps)

size and description of adult M. triplex (Journal of the Lepidopterists Society, courtesy of Yale U.)

presence in California list of 9 specimens of M. triplex plus locations and dates (U. of California at Berkeley)

presence in Kentucky of M. triplex (Western Kentucky U.)

presence in Texas of M. triplex (James Gillaspy, U. of Texas)

presence in Florida of M. triplex (John Heppner, Florida State Collection of Arthropods)

distribution map and synonyms of M. triplex (Markku Savela, FUNET)

Contributed by Robin McLeod on 19 January, 2007 - 5:31pm
Additional contributions by Randy Hardy
Last updated 23 February, 2012 - 11:13am

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