Protorthodes eureka

(Barnes & Benjamin, 1927)

Protorthodes eureka is a small noctuid described by Barnes and Benjamin in 1927. It inhabits arid western North American including sagebrush prairie and pinyon-juniper woodlands. are active in late summer and early autumn. The is characterized by distinctive reddish-brown forewings with dark longitudinal streaking and arrowhead-shaped subterminal spots.

Protorthodes eureka male by Lafontaine JD, Walsh JB, Ferris CD. Used under a CC BY 3.0 license.

Protorthodes eureka female by Lafontaine JD, Walsh JB, Ferris CD. Used under a CC BY 3.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Protorthodes eureka: /proʊˈtɔrθoʊdiːz juˈriːkə/

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Identification

Distinguished from similar Protorthodes by the combination of: small size (forewing 11–13 mm); reddish-brown forewings with pronounced longitudinal streaking from dark ; black arrowhead-shaped spots along the inner side of a relatively straight subterminal line; and pale whitish-gray hindwings with gray marginal band. The streaked forewing pattern and specific spot arrangement separate it from in the western Great Plains and Great Basin regions.

Images

Habitat

Open xeric , particularly sagebrush prairie and open pinyon-juniper woodlands. Occupies dry, exposed environments with sparse vegetation cover.

Distribution

North America: southern Alberta southward through the western Great Plains to Colorado, and throughout the Great Basin to east-central California and southwestern Colorado.

Seasonality

on wing from early August to late September.

Similar Taxa

Other Protorthodes speciesShare similar size range and general Noctuinae ; distinguished by specific forewing pattern of longitudinal streaking and arrowhead-shaped subterminal spots

More Details

Taxonomic history

Originally described as Eriopyga eureka by Barnes and Benjamin in 1927; later transferred to Protorthodes. Catalogue of Life lists it as a synonym of Trichopolia eureka, though GBIF and NCBI recognize Protorthodes eureka as the accepted name.