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Project Noah Nature School
Estigmene acrea
White moth with black thoracic stripes and small black spots on the wings. The upper abdomen and the femora of the legs are bright orange and black. This is a female with white, spotted hind wings. In males the hind wings are orange. Family Arctiidae.
Came to an ultraviolet light in the garden, San Cristobal de Las Casas, 2,200 meters.
Very docile and plays dead when disturbed.
Thank you so much Telse. Moths are just unbelievable with an infinite variety! We will never see them all. Great thing to be a nut about. :)
Just beautiful! You have an amazing and awesome collection Lauren.
I particularly love your Moths. I am a Moth nut.
It should be called just Marsh Moth, it has a large distribution throughout the US and it can't all be in salt marshes. We have mountain marshes or wetlands in our valley (sadly, very diminished).
Wow! Thank you bayucca. Before I put this up, I went through all the white arctiids and didn't find a single one with the black thoracic stripes and the spot. I just didn't know what to think about that. Now I spent 2 more hours pouring through all your links. The abdominal pattern fits E. albida better. Then I found a moth with thoracic stripes (but no spot) labeled as E. acrea:
http://croar.net/guide/image/moths#arcti..., so I am going to agree with you. This is a tough one. Thank you for all your hard work!!! :) I am very appreciative.
Arctiidae, Arctiinae, Arctiini, Spilosomina, Estigmene acrea, female. Hard one... Some of the spots and markings are different, but it is also variable. Tricky was the most apical black pin and the other spots at the outer margin of the forewing: OK, match.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/95771/bgim...
Black stripes on the head is usually not seen, other species? OK, match.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/294370/bgi...
Empty wing vs. multi-spotted wing:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/96967/bgim...
http://bugguide.net/node/view/175113
This one is also matching the body pattern!
http://bugguide.net/node/view/346469/bgi...
http://bugguide.net/node/view/175113
So, after the long list of sceptics, I think it is Estigmene acrea. Cave: misspelling in the suggestion!! I cannot delete suggestions on my iPad!
Please, verify!!
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.ed...
Spotted on Apr 11, 2013
Submitted on Apr 12, 2013
+1
