Apantesis phalerata (Harris, 1841)

Harris, T. W. (1841). A Report on the Insects of Massachusetts, injurious to
Vegetation. Cambridge: p. 245. Described in the genus Arctia.

A much more abundant species in Massachusetts is that which has been called the
harnessed moth, Arctia phalerata of my Catalogue. It makes its appearance from
the end of May to the middle of August, and probably breeds throughout the whole
summer. It is of a pale buff or nankin color; the hind-wings next to the body
and the sides of the body are reddish; on the fore-wings are two longitudinal
black stripes and four triangular black spots, the latter placed near the tip;
and these stripes and spots are arranged so that the buff-colored spaces between
them somewhat resemble horse-harness; the hind-wings have several black spots
near the margin; there are two dots on the collar, three stripes on the thorax,
and a stripe along the top of the back, of a black color; the under-side of the
body and the legs are also black. The wings expand from one inch and a half, to
one inch and three quarters. The caterpillar is not yet known to me. This moth,
in many respects, resembles one called Phyllira by Drury, rarely found here, but
abundant in the Southern States; the fore-wings of which are black, with one
longitudinal line, two transverse lines, and near the tip two zigzag lines
forming a W, of a buff color.

Hampson, G. F. (1901). Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the British
Museum, vol. 3: pp. 410-411, text-fig. 164. Treated as a synonym of Apantesis
vittata; the entry:

1966. Apantesis vittata.
Bombyx vittata, Fabr. Mant. Ins. ii. p. 127 (1787); Kirby, Cat. Het. p. 269.
Arctia phalerata, Harr. Ins. Mass. p. 245 (1841).
Apantesis radians, Wlk. iii. 632 (1855).
Arctia decorata, Saunders, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil. ii. p. 60 (1863).
Arctia colorata, Wlk. xxxi. 301 (1864).
Arctia rhoda, Butl. Ent. Mo. Mag. xviii. p. 136 (1881); Kirby, Cat. Het. p. 268.
Arctia ochreata, Butl. Ent. Mo. Mag. xviii. p. 136 (1881); Kirby, Cat. Het. p.
269.
Arctia phalerata, var. incompleta, Butl. A. M. N. H. (5) viii. p. 311 (1881).

♂. Head and thorax ochreous; palpi, sides of frons, antennae, and stripes on
tegulae, patagia, and thorax black; pectus and legs black; abdomen yellow above
tinged with crimson towards base, with broad black dorsal stripe and the ventral
surface black. Fore wing black, with ochreous-white fascia on costa to the
postmedial band and fasciae above submedian fold and on inner margin; the
postmedial band oblique from costa to vein 4, where it is strongly angled, then
running along median nervure to middle of submedian fascia; the subterminal band
oblique from costa to termen above vein 5, then running to postmedial band at
vein 4, then to termen at vein 2, and inwards to submedian fascia; cilia
ochreous. Hind wing pale ochreous, the base and inner area tinged with crimson;
the costal area black, except towards base; a discoidal spot often present; a
subterminal spot above vein 5, sometimes conjoined to costal fascia, spots on
vein 2 and above 1, and sometimes one on middle of termen.

Ab. 1. incompleta. Fore wing with the upper arm of the subterminal band absent.

Ab. 2. Hind wing without subterminal and terminal spots.

Ab. 3. decorata. Hind wing with the markings of terminal area confluent, and
forming a very broad band with very irregular inner edge; tegulae without
stripes.

Ab. 4. ochreata. Abdomen and hind wing orange-yellow, without crimson tinge;
tegulae without stripes.

♀. Head, thorax, and markings of fore wing more orange-yellow; abdomen scarlet;
hind wing deep crimson, with the markings large.

Ab. 1. Fore wing with the subterminal band absent or reduced to short streaks
near vein 4, the terminal half of submedian fascia obsolescent; hind wing with
irregular terminal band.

Ab. 2. Fore wing with the upper part of postmedial band also absent.

Ab. 3. radians. Fore wing with the markings reduced to narrow fasciae on costa
and inner margin, and above basal part of submedian fold.

Hab. U.S.A., Atlantic States, New York (Packard), 10 ♂, 3 ♀, types rhoda,
ochreata, and incompleta, Washington, 1 ♂, Buffalo, 1 ♂, Grote Coll.; Georgia, 2
♀ types radians and colorata; Florida, Miami (Schaus), 1 ♂, 1 ♀. Exp. 34-44
millim.

Seitz, A. (1919). Apantesis. In: Seitz, A. (ed.), The Macrolepidoptera of the
World, vol. 6, The American Bombyces and Sphinges: p. 305, pl. 38 m (German
edition: Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 6: 305). Treated as a form of A.
vittata; the paragraph:

A. vittata F. (39 a). Forewings black with cream-coloured margins and similar
stripes on the median, across the cell-end a white oblique band ending in the ♀
at the median, extending in the ♂ into the W of the marginal area (which is
mostly absent in the ♀). Hindwings reddish yellow-white, at the margin and
before it somewhat spotted black, in the ♀ sometimes the whole marginal area
black (= f. decorata Sndrs.). -- In ochreata Btlr. (39 a) the hindwings and
abdomen are golden yellow, without any reddish tinge. -- In incompleta Btlr. (=
colorata Wkr.) the upper arm of the marginal W is absent, and in radians Wkr.
(39 a) the W is absent altogether, and the ♀ has only a white basal ray in the
black forewing. -- phalerata Harris (= rhoda Btlr.) (38 m) are deviations of
this extremely variable species, but Holland states that he obtained the most
various forms all from the same place, a small valley in Pennsylvania. phalerata
has fine, though distinct white stripes on the forewings, being complete also in
the ♀; the hindwings are rosy-red with large black spots. Atlantic parts of the
United States, from the Canadian frontier to Florida. The species is very
common; phalerata is distributed through Mexico and Central America to Costa
Rica.