Utetheisa


Utetheisa is a genus of tiger moths in the family Erebidae. The genus was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1819.

Description

Palpi porrect, extending beyond the frons. Antennae ciliated. Forewings long and narrow, where the outer margin is short and somewhat erect. Vein 3 from before angle of cell. Veins 4 and 5 from angle, vein 6 from upper angle and vein 7 to 10 from a short areole. Hindwing with vein 5 from above angle of cell. Vein 6 and 7 from upper angle and vein 8 from middle of cell.
Caterpillars of many Utetheisa species feed on Crotalaria, and hence the genus as a whole is often called rattlebox moths. The adults usually have bright aposematic coloration and contain toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which are used as a chemical defense and are also incorporated into the sex pheromones of the males.

Taxonomy

The members of its subgenera Pitasila, Atasca, and Raanya were formerly included in Nyctemera. Utetheisa is placed in the tribe Callimorphina or in the Nyctemerina; some treatments merge the two subtribes.
Utetheisa is monophyletic.

Selected species

of Utetheisa include:
Subgenus Utetheisa
  • Utetheisa amhara Jordan, 1939
  • Utetheisa antennata Swinhoe, 1893
  • Utetheisa clareae Robinson, 1971
  • Utetheisa connerorum Roque-Albelo & Landry, 2009
  • Utetheisa cruentata
  • Utetheisa devriesi Hayes, 1975
  • Utetheisa diva
  • Utetheisa elata
  • * Utetheisa elata fatela Jordan, 1939
  • * Utetheisa elata fatua Heyn, 1906
  • Utetheisa galapagensis
  • Utetheisa henrii Roque-Albelo & Landry, 2009
  • Utetheisa lactea
  • * Utetheisa lactea aldabrensis T. B. Fletcher, 1910
  • Utetheisa lotrix - crotalaria moth
  • Utetheisa maddisoni Robinson & Robinson, 1980
  • Utetheisa ornatrix - ornate moth, bella moth
  • Utetheisa pectinata
  • Utetheisa perryi Hayes, 1975
  • Utetheisa pulchella - crimson-speckled flunkey
  • Utetheisa pulchelloides Hampson, 1907 - heliotrope moth
  • Utetheisa salomonis
  • Utetheisa semara Moore, 1860
  • Utetheisa sumatrana Rothschild, 1910
Subgenus Atasca
Subgenus Raanya
Subgenus Pitasila