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Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Crambidae
80a1453 – 5463   Argyria lacteella (Fabricius, 1794)
             Milky Urola Moth

© Alan Chin-Lee
Distribution: USA: FL.
Type locality (lacteella): "Americae meridionalis arboretis".
Lectotype (lacteella): “Americae insulis” [USA Virgin Island of Saint Croix; see Landry et al. (2023)].
Type locality (pusillalis, syn.): "Baltimora [Baltimore, MD]".
Type locality (abronalis): Brazil, Rio de Janeiro.
Type locality (lusella): St. Thomas Island [USA Virgin Islands].
Type locality (vestalis): Jamaica.
Type locality (multifacta): Panama, Porto Bello.
Description/
Field Marks:
Labial palpi white dorsally; a subapical coastal dash is followed by a subapical triangle. Wingspan: 9.5-14 mm. (Landry et al. 2023).
Similar Species:
  • Argyria centrifugens Dyar, 1914 has labial palpi brown dorsally; a subapical coastal dash is followed by a subapical triangle. Wingspan: 16-19 mm. (Landry et al. 2023).
  • Argyria gonogramma Dyar, 1915 has labial palpi white dorsally; the subapical coastal dash is not followed by a subapical triangle. Wingspan: 10.5-13.5 mm. (Landry et al. 2023).
  • Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.)
Synonymy: Tinea lacteella Fabricius, 1794
Zebronia?? abronalis Walker, 1859
Pyralis albana Fabricius, 1798, unnecessary replacement name.
Catharylla lusella Zeller, 1863
Argyria vestalis Butler, 1878
Argyria multifacta Dyar, 1914
Taxonomic Notes: Argyria lacteella (Fabricius, 1794) in the US is restricted to Florida and includes as synonyms lusella Zeller, 1863, vestalis Butler, 1878 and multifacta Dyar, 1914 in Landry et al. (2023).
References
  • Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: Some specimens shown may not be sequenced. DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness not proof of identification.
  • Barcode of Life (BOLD) - BIN: BOLD:AAA0413 (lacteella (part))
  • Barcode of Life (BOLD) - BIN: BOLD:AAC0264 (lacteella (part))
  • Fabricius, J.C., 1794. Entomologica systematica emendata et aucta. Secundum classes, ordines, genera, species adiectis synonymis, locis, observationibus, descriptionibus. C.G. Proft et C.F. Mohr, Hafniae et Kiliae, 3(2): 313.
  • Landry, B., J. Bilat, J. Hayden, M.A. Solis, D.C. Lees, N. Alvarez, T. Léger & J. Gauthier, 2023. The identity of Argyria lacteella (Fabricius, 1794) (Lepidoptera, Pyraloidea, Crambinae), synonyms, and related species revealed by morphology and DNA capture in type specimens. ZooKeys, 1146: 1-42.
  • Species Page at BugGuide.Net
Argyria lacteella
© Machele White
Argyria lacteella
LG – © Bernard Landry

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