Google
WWW MPG website only

Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Noctuidae
931312 – 9088   Ponometia virginalis (Grote, 1881)

© Charles W. Melton - DNA
Distribution: Caution: A single range map dot for a Canadian province may represent records without specific location data.
Type locality (virginalis): not given.
Type locality (tenuescens): Lake Worth, FL.
Description/
Field Marks:
Virginalis Grote was originally proposed as a variety of obatra Morrison which is separated "by the absence of the subterminal blackish shading on the primaries." Wing color is not mentioned. The original description of its synonym, tenuescens Smith, states "Fore wings yellow white..." while Poole states "The basal half of the forewing [of virginalis] is pure white." Specimens with both pure white and yellowish in the basal porting of the forewings are represented in BOLD:AAE1792, BIN group for virginalis at BOLD.
Similar Species:
  • Ponometia binocula (Grote, 1875)
  • Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.)
Synonymy: Spragueia virginalis Grote, 1881
Acontia tenuescens Smith, 1902
Taxonomic Notes: Ponometia virginalis: Formerly placed in the genus Tarachidia, ZooKeys, 39: 1-160.
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:AAE1792
  • Grote, A.R., 1881. North American moths. The Canadian Entomologist, 13(1): 15.
  • Lafontaine, J.D. & R.W. Poole, 2010. Review of the New World genera of the subfamily Acontiinae (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). ZooKeys, 39: 1-160.
  • Smith, J.B., 1902. New Species of Noctuidae for 1902. Journal of the New York Entomological Society, 10: 53.
  • Species Page at BugGuide.Net
  • Species Page at The Noctuidae of North America by Robert W. Poole (Nearctica.com)
Ponometia virginalis
DNA - LG - © Charles Melton
Ponometia virginalis
© Jeff Smith
Ponometia virginalis
© Jeff Smith
Ponometia virginalis
20mm – © Jim Vargo
Ponometia virginalis
23mm - LG – © Jim Vargo

Moth Photographers Group  at the  Mississippi Entomological Museum  at the  Mississippi State University

Send suggestions, or submit photographs to Webmaster — Moth Photographers Group

Database design and scripting support provided by Mike Boone