Hemeroplanis floccalis (Zeller), revived status

(Fig. 39a, 39b, 39c, 82)

BIN: BOLD:AAB1106

The DNA of Hemeroplanis scopulepes (Haworth) (BIN: BOLD:AAB1105) was analyzed, which split “ scopulepes ” into two distinct species separated by a 3.28% difference in the 658 COI base pairs compared. The type locality of H. scopulepes is “ England ” (in error for the southeastern United States; Poole 1989). Of the specimens examined, H. scopulepes was found in North Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, and in Florida, southward at least to Highlands County. The second species occurs in Texas, Mexico, Costa Rica, and southern Florida. Hemeroplanis floccalis (Zeller), revived status, described from Texas is an available name for this species, which I here raise from the synonymy of H. scopulepes to full species status. These two species can be difficult to identify due to the extreme variation they exhibit; however, H. scopulepes (Fig. 40) tends to be larger (FW length 12–14 mm) than H. floccalis (FW length 10–12 mm). Internally, the male clasper of H. scopulepes is roughly triangular (Fig. 84), whereas that of H. floccalis narrows apically to form a thumb-like projection (Fig. 82).

Erebidae: Erebinae: Melipotini