Beetle-mimic Moth

Description:

This plain brown little moth is actually kind of fascinating! It curls the upper wings in such a way as to look more beetle-like than moth-like at rest. The shine on the curled wing makes it look hard like elytra and it holds the upper wings half open to increase the elytra-like effect. At first glance it looks like one of the soft bodied beetles. Some Rhipicerid and Phengodid beetles hold their wings partly open like this. It is very small, at 5 mm in length. I have been seeing several of these this year.

Habitat:

Garden lights, semi-rural residential area, San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, 2,200 meters.