Hypotrix lunata
Encyclopedia
Hypotrix lunata is a moth
of the Noctuidae
family. It is found from south-eastern Arizona
(Chiricahua, Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountains) southward to the State of Durango
in northern Mexico
.
The length of the forewings is 15-17 mm and the wingspan
is about 31 mm. Adults are on wing from late May to mid-September, probably representing two generations.
and several of its South American relatives also have black reniform and orbicular spots that are frequently fused posteriorly, creating a wide V-shaped mark. Within the North American fauna the male genitalia of Hypotrix lunata are most similar to those of Hypotrix hueco
, but differ in that only the apical part of the
uncus is expanded in H. lunata whereas the apical 2/3 is wide in H. hueco, the clasper is
stouter and abruptly tapered apically in H. lunata, and the dorsal lobe on the sacculus
is much larger. The vesica is very different from that of H. hueco in having much more
extensive basal cluster of spines and subbasal cornuti in a longitudinally ribbed basal
swelling, and the vesica has three tight medial coils rather than one as in H. hueco. In
the female genitalia the appendix bursae has a corresponding three coils to those in the
vesica and the ductus bursae is more heavily sclerotized.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Noctuidae
Noctuidae
The Noctuidae or owlet moths are a family of robustly-built moths that includes more than 35,000 known species out of possibly 100,000 total, in more than 4,200 genera. They constitute the largest family in the Lepidoptera....
family. It is found from south-eastern Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
(Chiricahua, Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountains) southward to the State of Durango
Durango
Durango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...
in northern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
The length of the forewings is 15-17 mm and the wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is about 31 mm. Adults are on wing from late May to mid-September, probably representing two generations.
Description
It is a relatively large moth that is superficially unlike any other species in North America. The forewing is a hoary gray with a large entirely black crescent-shaped reniform spot that is fused posteriorly with the black orbicular spot. It is most closely related to Hypotrix quindiensis (Draudt, 1924) that was originally described as a form of H. lunata; it occurs from Colombia to Peru. Hypotrix lunata differs from H. quindiensis in having a smaller orbicular spot (the two sides of the black mark formed by the fusion of the spots are similar in size in H. quindiensis), the postmedial line is an even black line (an irregular series of black dashes in H. quindiensis ending in a black spot on the costa), the basal line is obscure (a contrasting black spot in H. quindiensis) and the hindwing is fuscous, not dirty white. In the genitalia of H. quindiensis there are two rather than three coils in the vesica and appendix bursae and only the posterior half of the ductus bursae is sclerotized. Hypotrix purpurigeraHypotrix purpurigera
Hypotrix purpurigera is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found in Brazil.It is the type species of the Hypotrix genus.-External links:*...
and several of its South American relatives also have black reniform and orbicular spots that are frequently fused posteriorly, creating a wide V-shaped mark. Within the North American fauna the male genitalia of Hypotrix lunata are most similar to those of Hypotrix hueco
Hypotrix hueco
Hypotrix hueco is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is known only from south-eastern Arizona.The length of the forewings is 14-16 mm. Adults are on wing from mid-June to mid-August.-External links:**...
, but differ in that only the apical part of the
uncus is expanded in H. lunata whereas the apical 2/3 is wide in H. hueco, the clasper is
stouter and abruptly tapered apically in H. lunata, and the dorsal lobe on the sacculus
is much larger. The vesica is very different from that of H. hueco in having much more
extensive basal cluster of spines and subbasal cornuti in a longitudinally ribbed basal
swelling, and the vesica has three tight medial coils rather than one as in H. hueco. In
the female genitalia the appendix bursae has a corresponding three coils to those in the
vesica and the ductus bursae is more heavily sclerotized.