Apantesis proxima

(Guérin-Méneville, 1844)

Mexican tiger moth

Apantesis proxima, commonly known as the Mexican tiger moth, is a of tiger moth in the Erebidae. First described by Felix Guérin-Méneville in 1844, this species underwent taxonomic reclassification in 2016 when phylogenetic and molecular analysis merged the Notarctia into Apantesis. The species exhibits striking aposematic coloration typical of tiger moths. Two are recognized: A. p. proxima and A. p. mormonica.

Apantesis proxima by (c) Jason Eckberg, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jason Eckberg. Used under a CC-BY license.Apantesis proxima Ueda by Ken-ichi Ueda. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.Apantesis proxima (Erebidae) 042022 by Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Apantesis proxima: /əˈpæn.tə.sɪs ˈprɒk.sɪ.mə/

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Identification

display distinctive white and black striped forewings characteristic of tiger moths, with a red, black-tipped . These bold patterns serve as warning coloration. The can be distinguished from similar Apantesis species by the specific arrangement and width of forewing stripes. Formerly placed in Grammia and Notarctia, specimens may be encountered under these outdated names in older collections and literature.

Images

Distribution

North America: south-eastern Oregon, southern Idaho, Nevada, western Utah, California. Mexico. Europe: Croatia (introduced or vagrant ).

Similar Taxa

  • Apantesis speciesFormerly classified together under Notarctia and Grammia; share tiger moth coloration patterns requiring careful examination of stripe configuration for separation
  • Other Arctiinae tiger mothsSimilar aposematic white/black/red coloration; A. proxima distinguished by specific forewing stripe pattern and abdominal coloration

Sources and further reading