Hypercompe ocularia, the ocularia leopard, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775.[1]
| Ocularia leopard | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
| Family: | Erebidae |
| Subfamily: | Arctiinae |
| Genus: | Hypercompe |
| Species: | H. ocularia
|
| Binomial name | |
| Hypercompe ocularia (Fabricius, 1775)
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Description
editThis moth is a translucent-white colour, patterned with numerous brown, oval rings on the forewings.[1]
Distribution
editIt is found in Colombia,[2] Peru and Ecuador. This is a cloud-forest species found at elevations between about 200–1000 m.[1]
Biology
editMoths of the genus Hypercompe are noxious to birds and exhibit warning colouration. When approached by a bird, these moths expose a coloured abdomen and exude noxious fluids as a defence mechanism.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Hoskins, Adrian. "Moths of the Amazon and Andes Ocularia Leopard". Learn About Butterflies. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
- ^ Savela, Markku. "Hypercompe ocularia (Fabricius, 1775)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
- Pitkin, Brian & Jenkins, Paul. "Search results Family: Arctiidae". Butterflies and Moths of the World. Natural History Museum, London.