This Sphacelodes moth has a wingspan of approximately 2 inches. The forewing of the male is dusky brown with an orange obtuse triangle. The hindwing is also dusky brown with a single tiny white spot near the leading edge. There are 2 or 3 inconspicuous darker brown wavy lines across the wings. Females have a paler and smaller triangle on the forewing and reddish bands across the forewing and hindwing. The antennae are the same color as the orange triangles and contrast with the darker head and body.
This is a rare moth in our area. It was found and photographed at a moth event at Fontenelle Forest during National Moth Week in July 2016. It is a tropical moth that inhabits rainforest and cloudforest in Central and South America. It has also been recorded in Texas and Florida north to Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
The larvae eat plants in the Buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae). There are 4 species in the genus Sphacelodes that live from Mexico south to Bolivia and Argentina.
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