Melipotis januaris

Melipotis januaris, the January melipotis moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. It was first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. The species has a wide range in the New World and has been recorded from Saint Kitts, Montserrat, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Grenada, the Greater Antilles, Florida and from Mexico to Paraguay.[2]

Melipotis januaris
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Noctuoidea
Family:	Erebidae
Genus:	Melipotis
Species:	M. januaris
Binomial name
Melipotis januaris (Guenée, 1852)[1]
Synonyms
Bolina januaris Guenée, 1852 Bolina parcicolor Herrich-Schäffer, 1868 Bolina rectifascia Herrich-Schäffer, 1868 Melipotis argos Druce, 1900 Bolina russaris Guenée, 1852 Bolina excavans Walker, 1858 Bolina subtilis Walker, 1858 Bolina surinamensis Möschler, 1880 Bolina nebulosa Maassen, 1890 Bolina limitata Möschler, 1886 Melipotis bimaculata Möschler Melipotis confusa Möschler

The wingspan is about 35 mm.[3] It is a highly variable species. Some specimens show a strongly contrasting pattern whilst others are more uniform.

The larvae feed on Inga laurina.[4]

References

1. Becker, Vitor O. (2002). "The Noctuoidea (Lepidoptera) from Cuba described by Herrich-Schäffer and Gundlach in the Gundlach Collection, Havana" (PDF). Revista Brasileira de Zoologia. 19 (2): 349–391. doi:10.1590/S0101-81752002000200006. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 29, 2012.
2. "Melipotis januaris (Guenée, 1852)". Catalogue of the Lepidoptera of the French Antilles. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
3. "930874.00 – 8603 – Melipotis januaris – January Melipotis Moth – (Guenée, 1852)". North American Moth Photographers Group. Mississippi State University. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
4. Savela, Markku. "Melipotis januaris (Guenée, 1852)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved December 2, 2018.