Xanthopastis timais

The Spanish moth or convict caterpillar (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 America, but these records refer to Xanthopastis regnatrix.

Illustration from Sepp’s Surinaamsche vlinders

Xanthopastis timais
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Noctuidae
Genus:	Xanthopastis
Species:	X. timais
Binomial name
Xanthopastis timais (Cramer, [1780])[1]
Synonyms
Phalaena timais Cramer, [1780] Phalaena Noctua timais Cramer, [1780] Glottula timais Euthisanotia timais Phalaena amaryllidis Sepp, [1840] Glottula heterocampa Guenée, 1852 Philochrysa regnatrix Grote, [1864] Xanthopastis antillium Dyar, 1913 Xanthopastis timias f. molinoi Dyar, 1919

The wingspan is 39–45 mm.[2] Adults have rosy-pink and black forewings, spotted with orange along the wing veins. The hindwings are gray. In Florida, adults are on wing from January to early June and again from September to December.

The larvae feed on Amaryllidaceae, Iridaceae and Liliaceae species, including Amaryllis, Clivia, Cooperia, Eucharis, Haemanthus, Hippeastrum, Hymenocallis, Narcissus, Pancratium, Polianthes, Zephyranthes, Iris, Crinum, Leucojum and Lilium species. They feed gregariously on leaves, bulbs and rhizomes of the host plants.

References

1. Xanthopastis at funet
2. Bug Guide