Species Copivaleria grotei - Grote's Sallow - Hodges#10021

10021

Copivaleria grotei (Morrison)

Valeria grotei Morrison, 1874

Phylogenetic sequence # 931557

Copivaleria grotei honors US lepidopterist Augustus Radcliffe Grote (1841-1903) (1).

The only Copivaleria species that occurs in America north of Mexico. (2),(3)

Wingspan 35-40 mm. Forewing 16-18 mm (7 measured images).

Overall mottled dark gray with contrasting whitish orbicular and reniform spots and a pale "arrowhead" patch at the junction of the (folded) forewings near anal angle. Many specimens show ochre to gold or olive-brown highlights scattered over much of forewings. Distal portion of forewings slightly paler but not obviously whitish as in Figure-eight Sallow (see below). Thorax pale centered with black or black-margined tegulae ("shoulders").

The original description as Valeria grotei Morrison, is available online at the link in print preferences below.

Specimen identified by DNA analysis:

Found throughout most of the United States from the Rocky Mountains eastward. (4), (5), (6)

Moth Photographers Group - large range map with some collection dates.

Primary flight period for adults is March through May, with smaller numbers as early as February, in June, and in September-October. (5)

Larval host is ash (Fraxinus sp.)

Figure-eight Sallow – Psaphida resumens Walker - has (a) differently shaped pale patch ("arrowhead") near anal angle of FWs, (b) mottled thorax often with tegulae paler than center (opposite of Grote's), and (c) more extensive, uniform pale area in the distal 1/8 of the FWs. See discussion in this ID guide on iNaturalist.org.

Afflicted Dagger can be confused--has pale-centered thorax with dark tegulae--but has overall darker ground color, inconspicuous reniform spot, and less obvious pale patch in rear portion of FWs.

Morrison, H.K. 1874. Description of two new Noctuidae from the Atlantic District. Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences. 26: p. (274) (read online)

Poole, R.W., 1995. The Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 26.1: p. 176; pl. 5.32.(3)

Moth Photographers Group

Nearctica.com

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

Dalton State

Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility