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Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984) | Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD | Technical Description, Adults: Schweitzer (1979) | Technical Description, Immature Stages: Schweitzer (1979); Wagner et al. (2011) | |
| Adult Markings: Metaxaglaea semitaria, viatica, and violacea are all medium-large Noctuids with similar wing patterns: dentate postmedian and antemedian lines; large,red-encircled orbicular and reniform spots; and a contrastingly dark band between the postmedian and the subterminal lines. Externally, they differ primarily in color, which can be subtle and highly dependent on the lighting conditions. Semitaria is usually the brightest of these three, with more of a yellowish, tawny, or orange-brown ground color (see Schweitzer, 1979, for details). |
| Adult Structural Features: Male genitalia are very similar to australis but differ from viatica and violacea in possessing a short rather than long spine at the terminus of the valve (see illustration and description in Schweitzer, 1979). |
| Structural photos |
Male reproductive structures |
Male reproductive structures |
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| Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable only by close inspection of structural features or by DNA analysis. |
| Immatures and Development: Larvae are dull grayish-brown, similar to those of other Metaxaglaea, especially australis; see a key to the last instar larvae given by Schweitzer (1979) for details concerning their differences. |
| Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from close inspection of specimens or by DNA analysis. |