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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: Subrita metaspilella Walker, 1866
Tortrix scriptana Walker, 1863
Taxonomic Notes: Nycteola metaspilella: Nycteola scriptana is a homonym, replaced by Nycteola metaspilella.
References
  • Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: Some specimens shown may not be sequenced. DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness not proof of identification.
  • 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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