Elasmia mandela

Elasmia mandela
	Male
	Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Hexapoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Notodontidae
Genus:	Elasmia
Species:	E. mandela
Binomial name
	Elasmia mandela; (Druce, 1887)
Synonyms
	Edema mandela Druce, 1887;

Elasmia mandela is a species of moth of the family Notodontidae. It occurs in Mexico, Costa Rica, Texas and Oklahoma.

Overall colour is dark grey brown with obscure transverse forewing markings. Males and females similar in appearance. Elasmia mandela santaana is grey overall with a contrasting dark scale patch in the reniform/subreniform area.^[1] Adults are on wing from April to early October.

The larvae have been recorded feeding on Rhamnaceae and Sapindaceae species, including Unganadia speciosa for ssp. Elasmia mandela santaana.

Subspecies

Elasmia mandela mandela (Mexico and Costa Rica)
Elasmia mandela santaana Metzler & Knudson, 2011 (Texas, Oklahoma and probably Mexico)

Etymology

The name of subspecies Elasmia mandela santaana refers to its type locality, the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in Texas.

References

^ A new species of Elasmia Möschler from New Mexico and Texas, and a new subspecies of Elasmia mandela (Druce) from Texas and Oklahoma (Lepidoptera, Notodontidae, Nystaleinae)

This article on a moth of the family Notodontidae is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] A new species of Elasmia Möschler from New Mexico and Texas, and a new subspecies of Elasmia mandela (Druce) from Texas and Oklahoma (Lepidoptera, Notodontidae, Nystaleinae)

[1]