Phaloesia

Phaloesia is a monotypic of tiger moth genus in the family Erebidae. Its only species is Phaloesia saucia, the saucy beauty moth. The genus and species were first described by Francis Walker in 1854. It is found from the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas in the United States[1][2] to Venezuela.[3][4]

Phaloesia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Noctuoidea
Family:	Erebidae
Subfamily:	Arctiinae
Genus:	Phaloesia Walker, 1854
Species:	P. saucia
Binomial name
Phaloesia saucia Walker, 1854
Synonyms
Phaloesia fulvicollis Butler, 1876 Cocastra gentilis Boisduval, 1870 Phaloesia venezuelae Butler, 1876 Phaloesia chalybea Butler, 1876 Phaloesia flaviventris Reich, 1938

Adults are on wing nearly year round. Adults have been observed feeding on nectar from Chromolaena odorata, Aloysia gratissima and Sabal mexicana.[5] The larvae feed on Tournefortia species, including Tournefortia volubilis.[5]

Taxonomy

Phaloesia fulvicollis was previously wrongly listed as a synonym of Gnophaela aequinoctialis.

References

1. "930351.00 – 8039 – Phaloesia saucia – Saucy Beauty Moth – Walker, 1854". North American Moth Photographers Group. Mississippi State University. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
2. Quinn, Mike. "Saucy Beauty". Texas Lep Information. Texas Entomology. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
3. Savela, Markku. "Phaloesia saucia Walker, 1854". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
4. Becker, Vitor O. (September 15, 2013). "Taxonomic changes in the Neotropical Pericopina and Ctenuchina moths (Erebidae, Arctiinae, Arctiini), with description of new taxa" (PDF). The Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera. 46: 53–66. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 24, 2013.
5. Quinn, Mike (May 22, 2016). "Species Phaloesia saucia - Saucy Beauty - Hodges#8039". BugGuide. Retrieved September 6, 2019.