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Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Nolidae
931145 – 8978   Nycteola metaspilella (Walker, 1866)
             Forgotten Frigid Owlet

© Mark Dreiling - DNA
Distribution: Southern Ontario south to Florida and Texas.
Genitalia: See scriptana in Fletcher (1959).
Similar Species:
  • 8975 N. frigidana tends to have an abundance of white scales in the am. band. It tends to lack the black line extending from the wing base of N. cinereana.
  • 8977 N. cinereana has a black line or streak extending from the wing base on the thorax, outward and downward toward the hind margin of the forewing, Don Lafontaine (pers. comm., 01/23/2019).
  • 8978 N. metaspilella has a somewhat hoary-gray ground color with the maculation often appearing faded, and often there is a black patch on the outer side of the antemedial line near the hind wing. If it has a basal streak it projects outwardly, Don Lafontaine (pers. comm., 01/23/2019).
  • Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.)
Synonymy:
  • metaspilella Walker 1866 (Subrita)
  • scriptana Walker 1863 (Tortrix)
  • Taxonomic Notes: Nycteola metaspilella: Nycteola scriptana is a homonym, replaced by Nycteola metaspilella.
    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.
    • Fletcher, D.S., 1959. Notes on North American species of Nycteola (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Journal of the New York Entomological Society, 67: 51-53; fig. 1.
    • Species Page at Block Island Moths
    • Species Page at BugGuide.Net
    • Species Page at Mass Moths
    Nycteola metaspilella
    © Robin McLeod
    Nycteola metaspilella
    © Robin McLeod
    Nycteola metaspilella
    © Ken Childs
    Nycteola metaspilella
    © Ken Childs
    Nycteola metaspilella
    © Steve Scott
    Nycteola metaspilella
    © Steve Scott
    Nycteola metaspilella
    © Joanne Shuman
    Nycteola metaspilella
    © Bob Patterson
    Nycteola metaspilella
    23mm – © Jim Vargo

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