Moth Photographers Group – Tarache areli

Digital Guide to Moth Identification

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Noctuidae

931356 – 9159 Tarache areli (Strecker, 1898)

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Distribution:

Colorado to Nevada, southward to border regions of Texas to California. Also British Columbia. Open pinyon-juniper-oak areas and ponderosa pine forest in canyons or forested plateaus. Elevations ~ 4,800-7,500 ft.

Seasonality
and Size:

July - August. Wingspan ~ 20-25 mm.

Larva and
Host Plants:

Unknown.

Description/
Field Marks:

Forewing buff toward body.

White spot in brown near wingtip.

Circular reniform with black pupil.

Inner margin of brown area irregular. Irregular dark patch associated with this margin with some bluish scales.

Similar Species:

The Acontia areli group consists of six species, five of which are found in our check list area. They are similar in appearance, but differ in genitalia. See individual species pages for tips on identification. Photographs below by Cliff Davis and Jocelyn Gill.

9158 - areloides 9159 - areli 9159.1 - toddi 9159.2 - geminocula 9159.3 - albifusa
Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.)

Synonymy:

areli (Strecker, 1898) (Acontia) - MONA 1983: 9159

monstrosa (Strand, 1916) ([unknown])

Taxonomic Notes:

Tarache areli: Formerly placed in the genus Acontia.

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.
Ferris, C. & D. Lafontaine, 2009. Review of the Acontia areli group with descriptions of three new species (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Acontiinae). ZooKeys, 9: 27-46.
Powell, J. A. & P. A. Opler, 2009. Moths of Western North America, Pl. 50.27m; p. 281. Book Review and ordering
Species Page at BugGuide.Net
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).

Moth Photographers Group at the Mississippi Entomological Museum at the Mississippi State University

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