Kingdom Animalia Family Dalceridae Genus Minacraga Order Butterflies and moths | Class Insecta Phylum Arthropoda Rank Species | |
Minacraga plata is a moth in the Dalceridae family. It was described by S.E. Miller in 1994. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama. The habitat consists of tropical moist, tropical premontane wet and tropical premontane moist forests.
The length of the forewings is 15–17 mm. The forewings are pale buff, but light brown on the outer margin and with a light subterminal line through this brown shading. The outer margin is edged with pale buff with dark brown spots in the fringe. The discal spot is dark brown, with some dark brown scales in the inner margin. The hindwings are pale buff, the outer margin shaded with brown, especially around the anal angle. Adults are on wing in January, July and October.
The larvae feed on Alibertia edulis.
Etymology
The species name is derived from the Spanish word for silver, honoring the late Robert Silberglied's contributions to the knowledge of the Lepidoptera of Panama as well as the silvering of the moths' forewings.