| Protorthodes texicana | |
|---|---|
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| Male | |
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| Female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Noctuidae |
| Genus: | Protorthodes |
| Species: | P. texicana |
| Binomial name | |
| Protorthodes texicana Lafontaine, 2014 | |
Protorthodes texicana is a moth in the Noctuidae family. It is known from west-central Texas and southern Mexico.
Moths comprise a group of insects related to butterflies, belonging to the order Lepidoptera. Most lepidopterans are moths, and there are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of which have yet to be described. Most species of moth are nocturnal, but there are also crepuscular and diurnal species.
The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because many of the clades are constantly changing, along with the other families of the Noctuoidea. It was considered the largest family in Lepidoptera for a long time, but after regrouping Lymantriinae, Catocalinae and Calpinae within the family Erebidae, the latter holds this title now. Currently, Noctuidae is the second largest family in Noctuoidea, with about 1,089 genera and 11,772 species. However, this classification is still contingent, as more changes continue to appear between Noctuidae and Erebidae.
Texas is the second largest state in the United States by both area and population. Geographically located in the South Central region of the country, Texas shares borders with the U.S. states of Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the southwest, while the Gulf of Mexico is to the southeast.
The length of the forewings is 12–14 mm. The forewings are pale brown with a dusting of darker-brown scales. The subbasal, antemedial, postmedial and subterminal lines are buff, partially bordered by darker-brown scales. The reniform spot is grey-brown, darker than the forewing and with a pale-buff outline, as well as a slight constriction on the anterior and posterior margin. The orbicular spot is similar in colour. The hindwings are pale fuscous, basally with darker fuscous on the discal spot, the veins and the marginal area. Adults are on wing from late March to late May and in early October.
