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Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Noctuidae 931334 – 9109   Ponometia elegantula (Harvey, 1876)              Arizona Bird-dropping Moth

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Similar Species: In Ponometia acutus the black shading of the median area starts off the hind margin of the forewing at a more oblique angle than in P. elegantula and the part above the reniform spot extends up to the costa at a more oblique angle too, giving the line an acute angle overall, centered at the reniform spot. The fringe varies with the form and may be all white, with a white patch at 1/3 from apex, or with black areas at apex, 1/3 and at the bottom, or occasionally all over the fringe. In Ponometia elegantula there are two basic forms with typical elegantula having an almost straight inner edge to the broad, black medial line, often with a notch at the reniform spot, and white areas beyond this, to form arizonae in which the medial line is thin with fuscous reddish-gray shading beyond it. In all forms the line is less acutely angled at the reniform spot and the dark shading in the fringe is confined to the upper half of the fringe and often broken into two areas (apex and 1/3). ~ D.L. Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.) Synonymy: elegantula (Harvey, 1876) (Thalpochares) - MONA 1983: 9109 arizonae (Edwards, 1878) (Thalpochares) interruptus (Smith, 1905) (Conochares) rectangula (McDunnough, 1943) (Conochares) seminivealis (Hulst, 1886) (Orobena) semiopaca (Grote, 1878) (Tarache) Taxonomic Notes: Ponometia elegantula: Formerly placed in the genus Conochares. Includes as synonyms Ponometia rectangula [9106] and Ponometia arizonae [9110].

References

Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification, and some BOLD specimens shown may not be sequenced. Species Page at BugGuide.Net Species Page at E. H. Strickland Museum Species Page at Pacific Northwest Moths Species Page at The Noctuidae of North America by Robert W. Poole (Nearctica.com) - archived page access (go to a year prior to 2020 and select a blue circled date from the calendar). Species page at Moths of North Dakota.

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