Copablepharon pictum
Fauske & Lafontaine, 2004
Pictured grasshopper, Barber pole grasshopper
Copablepharon pictum is a in the Noctuidae, described by Fauske and Lafontaine in 2004. The species was previously treated as a under the name Dactylotum bicolor pictum, but taxonomic revision moved it to the moth Copablepharon. It is known from North America with limited observational records.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Copablepharon pictum: /ˌkəʊ.pəˈlɛ.fə.rɒn ˈpɪk.tum/
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Distribution
North America. Records indicate presence in the United States, though specific state-level distribution data for the is sparse. The former concept (Dactylotum bicolor pictum) ranged from northern Texas and northeastern New Mexico to Montana, with occurrence on eastern plains and foothills in Colorado.
Similar Taxa
- Copablepharon longipenneCongeneric in the same , potentially overlapping in range and requiring careful examination for separation.
- Copablepharon fuscumAnother congeneric that may be confused due to similar size and coloration patterns within the .
Misconceptions
This was long misidentified as a (Dactylotum bicolor pictum) due to historical taxonomic confusion. The name was applied to a brilliantly colored acridid grasshopper before Fauske and Lafontaine (2004) established it as a noctuid , creating potential confusion in literature prior to 2004.
More Details
Taxonomic history
The specific epithet 'pictum' was originally used by Thomas in 1873 for a (Dactylotum bicolor pictum). Fauske and Lafontaine transferred this name to the Copablepharon in 2004. Literature prior to this date referring to 'pictum' or 'Dactylotum pictum' describes the grasshopper, not the moth.
Nomenclatural note
The is now correctly called Dactylotum bicolor, with D. b. pictum and D. b. variegatum. The Copablepharon pictum is a separate that inherited the specific epithet through taxonomic revision.