Hypercompe

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iHypercompe

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Arctiidae
Genus:	Hypercompe Hübner, 1819

Hypercompe is a genus of moths of the family Arctiidae. There are over 80 species found throughout the Americas. It has seniority over the name Ecpantheria, which was published by the same author one year later, and is therefore not a valid name (a junior synonym).^{[citation needed]} They are typically large moths with white forewings heavily spotted with black, and brightly-colored abdomens which are exposed when the moth is threatened. This is a form of aposematism; they produce copious amounts of foul-smelling defensive chemicals, which they ooze from special points of weakness on the thorax, to discourage would-be predators without having to be eaten.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Species

Species include:

Hypercompe abdominalis

Recorded food plants include Brassica and Veronica

Hypercompe albescens

Food plant: Musa

Hypercompe albicornis

Recorded food plants include Helianthus, Luffa and Phaseolus

Food plant: Gossypium herbaceum

Recorded food plants include Gossypium, Plantago and Solanum

Food plant: Syagrus romanzoffiana

Recorded food plants include Cissus, Citrus, Erythrina, Ipomoea, Musa, Panicum and Vanilla

Recorded food plants include Bidens, Eriobotrya, Gossypium, Hibiscus, Manihot and Ricinus

Recorded food plants include Apium, Cecropia, Cissus, Citrus, Erechtites, Erythrina, Ipomoea, Musa, Phaseolus, Psidium, Solanum, Vanilla

Hypercompe indecisa

Recorded food plants include Beta, Brassica, Citrus, Cucurbita, Datura, Diospyros, Fragaria, Hippeastrum, Leucanthemum, Persea, Pisum, Prunus, Ricinus, Rosa, Senecio, Solanum, Spiraea and Zea