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Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Erebidae 930682 – 8502   Metalectra tantillus (Grote, 1875)              Black Fungus Moth

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Larva and Host Plants: Host familiy: Chaetophoraceae[Protococcaceae][Algae] Fungi[none_specified] Detritophagous.  Host genera: Protococcus[Algae] Fungi Detritophagous[plant].  Notes: dry fungus (Beadle & Leckie 2012); "?fungus" (Heppner 2007); Detritophagous - likely Lichens.  (Shropshire & Douglas 2025) Similar Species: Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.) Synonymy: tantillus (Grote, 1875) (Homopyralis) - MONA 1983: 8502 monodia (Dyar, 1903) (Homopyralis)

References (Caution: DNA barcoding at BOLD provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; some BOLD specimens shown may not be sequenced.)

Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: Identifications often erroneous; DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; many specimens not sequenced. Shropshire, K.J. & D.W. Tallamy, 2025. Lepidoptera of North America, north of Mexico: an annotated list containing geographic ranges and host-plant records. ZooKeys, 1261: 101-113; Suppl. 1. (PDF or read online) Species Page at BugGuide.Net Species Page at iNaturalist

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