Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Noctuidae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Xanthopastis | |
Similar Xanthopastis timais, Xanthopastis, Orthodes majuscula, Noctuinae, Noctuoidea | ||
Xanthopastis regnatrix is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It occurs in North America, where it is found from North Carolina and South Carolina to Texas and south to Florida. Strays have been recorded as far north as coastal New York, and inland as far north as Kentucky and Arkansas.
Taxonomy
The species known as Xanthopastis timais is now recognized as a species complex. The name for the species in eastern United States is Xanthopastis regnatrix (Type locality: Pennsylvania). This species name was used for the species by Kimball (1965), Wagner (2005) and Wagner et al. (in press). It is characterized by the black patch of scales on the forewing that completely surround the reniform and orbicular spots, the relatively small process on the inner surface of the right valve.