''Xanthopastis regnatrix'', the Spanish moth or convict caterpillar, is a

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. They are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because many of the clades are constantly changing, along with the other f ...

. It occurs in the United States, where it is found from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

and south to

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. Strays have been recorded as far north as coastal

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, and inland as far north as

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

Taxonomy

The species known as ''

Xanthopastis timais ''Xanthopastis timais'' is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found throughout the lowland areas of South and Central America and in the Caribbean. In the south, it ranges to northern Argentina. It was previously also recorded from North Ameri ...

'' is now recognized as a

species complex In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

. The name for the species in eastern United States is ''Xanthopastis regnatrix'' (Type locality: Pennsylvania). This species name was used for the species by Kimball (1965), Wagner (2005) and Wagner et al. (in press).

Description

It is characterized by the black patch of scales on the forewing that completely surround the reniform and orbicular spots, the relatively small process on the inner surface of the right valve.

References

Glottulinae Moths of North America Moths of the Caribbean Moths of Cuba Lepidoptera of Jamaica Moths described in 1863 {{Glottulinae-stub