Penthesilea sacculalis
Ragonot, 1890
Long-snouted Penthesilea Moth
Species Guides
2A small pyralid with a wingspan of 13–17 mm, found across the southeastern and southwestern United States. The exhibits dark brown to fuscous forewings with occasional reddish-brown overscaling at the basal angle. Two are recognized: the nominate form and P. s. baboquivariensis, restricted to Arizona.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Penthesilea sacculalis: //pɛnˌθɛsɪˈliːə ˌsækjuˈlɑːlɪs//
These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.
Identification
Small size and uniformly dark brown to fuscous wings without strong patterning. Distinguished from similar pyralids by the occasional reddish-brown overscaling at the basal angle of the forewing. The nominate occurs across the southeastern US, while the Arizona subspecies P. s. baboquivariensis is geographically isolated.
Images
Appearance
Small with wingspan 13–17 mm. Forewings dark brown to fuscous, with basal angle occasionally overscaled with reddish-brown; base darker than portion. Hindwings uniformly dark brown to fuscous.
Distribution
Southeastern and southwestern United States: Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, and Arizona. The P. s. baboquivariensis is to Arizona.
Similar Taxa
- Other Penthesilea speciesSimilar size and coloration; requires examination of genitalia or geographic distribution for definitive identification
- Unspecified Chrysauginae speciesDark brown pyralid moths with similar wing patterns; subtle wing scaling details and geographic range help distinguish P. sacculalis
More Details
Subspecies
Two recognized: P. s. sacculalis (widespread) and P. s. baboquivariensis Cashatt in Solis, Cashatt & Scholtens, 2012 (Arizona only)