''Dunama janecoxae'' 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 ...
in the family
Notodontidae
Notodontidae is a family of moths with approximately 3,800 known species. The family was described by James Francis Stephens in 1829. Moths of this family are found in all parts of the world, but they are most concentrated in tropical areas, espe ...
. It is found in
Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
, where it is known from the Cordillera Volcanica de Guanacaste and the eastern slope of the Cordillera de Tilaran and Talamanca, occurring at elevations ranging from 1,090 to 1,185 meters.
[, 2013: Cryptic species within cryptic moths: new species of Dunama Schaus (Notodontidae, Nystaleinae) in Costa Rica. ''Zookeys'' 264: 11-45. Abstract and full article: ]
Description
The length of the forewings is 16.1–17.4 mm. The dorsal ground color is a mixture of gray-brown and beige scales. The veins are lined with gray, especially distally. The anal fold and cubitus are blackish brown and the orbicular spot is diffuse blackish brown. The reniform spot is small and blackish brown. The dorsal hindwing is dirty gray brown, but lighter near the base. The ventral surfaces of both wings are gray brown.
Biology
The larvae feed on ''
Chamaedorea costaricana
''Chamaedorea costaricana'' is a species of palm in the genus '' Chamaedorea'', found in Central America. A common local name in Costa Rica is pacaya, though this is also used as a name for '' Chamaedorea tepejilote''.
Description
They grow in ...
''.
Etymology
The species is named in honor of Ms. Jane Cox, mother of Jessie Hill of Philadelphia and Hawaii, in recognition of Jessie Hill’s contribution to saving and inventorying the conserved ACG rain forest in which ''Dunama janecoxae'' breeds.
Gallery
Image:Dunama janecoxae larvae last instar.JPG, Larvae - last instar
Image:Dunama janecoxae larvae last instar1.JPG, Larvae - last instar
References
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Moths described in 2013
Notodontidae
{{Notodontidae-stub