Ephestris

Ephestris melaxantha
Ephestris melaxantha. Mounted specimen on display at the Civico Museo di Storia Naturale di Trieste
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Erebidae
Tribe: Arctiini
Subtribe: Pericopina
Genus: Ephestris
Hübner, [1820]
Species: E. melaxantha
Binomial name
Ephestris melaxantha
(Hübner, [1809])
Synonyms
  • Lama Walker, 1869 (preocc. Cuvier, 1800)
  • Hypocrita melaxantha Hübner, [1809]
  • Hypocrita superba Hübner, [1809][1]

Ephestris is a genus of tiger moths in the Erebidae family. It contains the single species Ephestris melaxantha. [2]

Etymology

The species name melaxantha derives from the Greek μελανός meaning "black" and "xanthus", meaning "golden-haired" or "yellow", with reference to the striking coloration of the wings, probably a warning to predators. [3]

Description

Ephestris melaxantha has a wingspan of about 70 millimetres (2.8 in).[4] Despite being a moth, it has diurnal behaviour.

Distribution

This species is native to Brazil and the tropical regions of South America. [3][5]

References

  1. Biodiversity Library
  2. Beccaloni, G.W., Scoble, M.J., Robinson, G.S. & Pitkin, B. (Editors). (2003) The Global Lepidoptera Names Index (LepIndex)
  3. 1 2 Didactalia.net
  4. Alekseev VN, Babenko VG Butterflies
  5. Ephestris at funet

External links

Wikispecies has information related to: Ephestris
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