Smicropus bogotensis with black outline, Santa María, Colombia

This one is plaguing me. After a 90 minute search across various neotropical butterfly sites, the local Santa María butterfly documentation, and this giant checklist...

http://neotropicalbutterflies.com/colombiapdf/PDFs/PDF09_SantaMaria_Abr15_2015.pdf

...I'm still coming up empty. Maybe it's a moth?

comments (7)

WildFlower

Lion

It probably is a moth but I don't know which species, maybe Smicropus sp.
http://riodinidae.org/2016/04/01/why-are-yellow-and-black-riodinids-rare/
http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Andes%20thumbs%20-%20Identification%20Guide%204.htm
http://www.troplep.org/TLR/18-2/Lewis-Covell.pdf
http://www.boldsystems.org/index.php/TaxBrowser_Taxonpage?taxid=52030 Posted 8 years ago
1. Ferdy Christant
  
  Lion
  
  Thank you for the research, those are some excellent sources. Oddly when exploring those links none match the pattern exactly, except for the last link which seems to come very close overall, yet with two differences: it does not have the black spots in the middle of the wings, and the antennae look different.
  
  A very tricky one indeed! Posted 8 years ago
2. Ferdy Christant
  
  Lion
  
  Got this suggestion, which seems to have a lot of visual similarities:
  Cyllopoda centralis
  
  Wonder what you think? Posted 8 years ago, modified 8 years ago
3. 1. WildFlower
    
    Lion
    
    There is only one reference for this species and although there is some similarity, the shape of the yellow patch doesn't match exactry. Furthermore, I don't think the species from the genus Cyllopoda have the yellow stripe on the body that this one has.
    http://entomology.si.edu/Lepidoptera/geos/SterrhinaeTypes/NeoSterrhinaeTypes_centralis-C.html
    
    I think I have found a better match Smicropus bogotensis (Dognin, 1917) = Flavinia bogotensis.
    http://entomology.si.edu/Lepidoptera/geos/SterrhinaeTypes/NeoSterrhinaeTypes_bogotensis-F.html
    http://ftp.ipv6.funet.fi/index/Tree_of_life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/geometroidea/geometridae/sterrhinae/smicropus/ Posted 8 years ago
  2. 1. Ferdy Christant
      
      Lion
      
      A small miracle that you found that only reference, deeply impressive. Assuming it is correct, this looks to be the only photo of a live specimen I can find so far :) Posted 8 years ago
    2. 1. WildFlower
        
        Lion
        
        Smicropus bogotensis is the current name. It was originally described as Flavinia bogotensis. You are also using the genus name twice in the description. Posted 8 years ago
      2. Ferdy Christant
        
        Lion
        
        Corrected, thank you. Posted 8 years ago