Gold Drop Moth - Euchallia putnami?

[Joe Kunkel]

Pat & Jeff,

_Plusia putnami_ (formerly Euchalcia and Phytometra) is figured in the
Hampson British Museum plates at URL:

http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/kunkel/Moths/hampson/

Navigate to the 'species direct' index and search for 'putnami' and you
will find the following entrys: 
putnami, Phytometra ccxxxviii:1
putnami, Plusia ccxxxviii:1

Either link gets you to the same plate and figure, ccxxxviii:1

I have collected this species here in Massachusetts but the drop appears
silvery rather than gold or brassy.

There are other moths with striking spotting on the same plate.
You can then go to the plate index for names for those species.

Good luck!
Joe
   

Patricia & Jeff Harding wrote:
> 
> Patricia found a fascinating moth in a spider web the other day.  The
> forewings are dusted with a metallic gold or bronze, and each forewing
> bears two small metallic spots, looking like molten gold were dropped on
> the wing.  It's pinned now.  Small - about 3/4ths of an inch across the
> wings, heavy body about 5/8ths of an inch long.
> Dan looked in Holland's Moth Book, and thinks Euchallia putnami comes
> close.  The book does not say much, though.  Does anyone know anything
> else about it?
> Cheers, Jeff

-- 
--------------------
Joseph G. Kunkel, Professor
Biology Department             joe at bio.umass.edu
University of Massachusetts    http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/kunkel
Amherst MA 01003