# Ephestris

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ephestris
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ephestris.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephestris
> Source revision: 1353493595
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

***Ephestris*** is a [monotypic](/source/Monotypic) [tiger moth](/source/Arctiinae_(moth)) genus in the family [Erebidae](/source/Erebidae). It contains the single species ***Ephestris melaxantha***. Both the genus and species were [first described](/source/Species_description) by [Jacob Hübner](/source/Jacob_H%C3%BCbner), the genus in 1820 and the species in 1809.[1]

## Etymology

The [specific name](/source/Specific_name_(zoology)) *melaxantha* derives from the Greek μελανός (*melanós*) meaning "black" and *xanthus*, meaning "golden haired" or "yellow", with reference to the striking coloration of the wings, probably a warning to predators.[2]

## Description

*Ephestris melaxantha* has a wingspan of about 70 millimetres (2.8 in).[3] Despite being a moth, it has [diurnal](/source/Diurnality) behavior.

## Distribution

This species is native to [Brazil](/source/Brazil) and the tropical regions of South America.[2][4]

## References

1. ["*Efestris* (*Ephestris melaxantha*)"](http://didactalia.net/it/comunit%C3%A0/materialeducativo/risorsa/efestris-ephestris-melaxantha/3ceb35b5-414f-4997-acf7-33abf1987fe8). *Didactalia*.

1. Alekseev, V. N. & Babenko, V. G. [*Бабочки*](https://books.google.com/books?id=gjypwZKnp4cC&dq=Ephestris+melaxantha&pg=PA6) [Butterflies]. (in Russian)

1. Savela, Markku. ["*Ephestris* Hübner, \[1820\]"](https://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/noctuoidea/arctiidae/pericopinae/ephestris/). *Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms*. Retrieved September 6, 2019.

## External links

- [Insecta-web](http://www.insecta-web.org/cgi-bin/LepElectronica/img_displayBig.pl?db=tg&app=LepNeotropica&family=Arctiidae&id=669&mod=display&templ=big&access=600) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20141030111545/http://www.insecta-web.org/cgi-bin/LepElectronica/img_displayBig.pl?db=tg&app=LepNeotropica&family=Arctiidae&id=669&mod=display&templ=big&access=600) 2014-10-30 at the Wayback Machine

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ephestris](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephestris) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephestris?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.