Neonerita bernardoespinozai moth

Congratulations Eduardo, your beautiful moth came second in our 2017 Best Wildlife Photo competition, Arthropods category: https://www.facebook.com/projectnoah/photos/a.10150595289465603.674700.10150120463815603/10159863227220603/?type=3&theater https://twitter.com/projectnoah/status/949801270608646145

Great find Eduardo congrats on the well deserved SOTD and thaks for sharing

What a spectacularly beautiful moth! Really wonderful spotting!

Congratulations, Eduardo, what a find!

You're welcome Edeuardo, and congratulations, this superb moth is now Spotting of the Day! "Possibly the most visually appealing moth we've ever seen! Neonerita bernardoespinozai (Erebiidae, Arctiinae) is our Spotting of the Day! Originally identified as Neonerita dorsipuncta, this species appears to be restricted to an area ranging from the southern half of Mexico to Panama. Two new species in the genus Neonerita have been recently (2016) described: Neonerita bernardoespinozai and Neonerita martinezi; both were were confused with Neonerita dorsipuncta up to then. Neonerita dorsipuncta was originally described by British entomologist George Hampson in 1901. Wide geographic distribution in the subfamily Arctiinae has prompted the reevaluation of multiple taxa, using both morphological criteria and modern molecular methods. There is a limited number of images of these moths avaible online, and many of them are of pinned specimen. Macrophotographer Eduardo Axel Recillas Bautista, who shared this spotting with us, had not seen this species for two years. For more information: https://buff.ly/2AvzskC " Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/projectnoah/photos/pb.10150120463815603.-2207520000.1512086407./10159696271185603/?type=3&theater Twitter: https://twitter.com/projectnoah/status/936384093536817152

Thanks for contacting Michel laguerre Dominik! Eduardo, the article indicates that for the 3 species described external morphological criteria are not sufficient, and dissection of genitalia is required for identification. However, we're lucky as distribution indicates that at your location only the species now known as Neonerita bernardoespinozai is to be found. This implies that your previous spotting from 2 years ago should be relabelled as well, together with any other obervation of this moth in the area from southern half of Mexico to Panama. Wide geographic distribution in the subfamily Arctiinae, with rather different habitats, has prompted the reevaluation of multiple taxa using genitalia dissection and modern molecular methods (DNA barcoding). Now your spotting is even more special :-)

Amazing ! ...all it needs is a patch of blue, beautiful !!

Great stuff!

This IS actually Neonerita bernardoespinozai!! Merci beaucoup Michel Laguerre!! Michel is the author of the corresponding paper mentioned below!! Good job, folks!!

Very interesting one, indeed!! I will contact an expert...

This is something special! Great spotting Eduardo!

Awesome!

Hi Eduardo! What an incredibly beautiful moth! I was researching this species for our Spotting of the Day feature, and came across this recent paper: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303738177_Two_new_Neonerita_Hampson_species_with_redescription_of_Neonerita_dorsipuncta_Hampson_1901_Lepidoptera_Erebiidae_Arctiinae_Phaegopterina Based on distribution do you think this could be newly described Neonerita bernardoespinozai?

Amazing find!

Beautiful

Gorgeous!

Beautiful!