Xanthopastis regnatrix

Xanthopastis regnatrix, the Spanish moth or convict caterpillar, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It occurs in the United States, where it is found from North Carolina to Texas and south to Florida. Strays have been recorded as far north as coastal New York, and inland as far north as Kentucky.^[2]

Xanthopastis regnatrix
Adult (top), and larva (lower)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Noctuoidea
Family:	Noctuidae
Genus:	Xanthopastis
Species:	X. regnatrix
Binomial name
Xanthopastis regnatrix (Grote, 1863)[1]
Synonyms
Philochrysa regnatrix Grote, [1864]

Taxonomy

The species known as Xanthopastis timais is now recognized as a species complex. The name for the species in eastern United States is Xanthopastis regnatrix (Type locality: Pennsylvania).^[3]