Podagra crassipes Smith 1902

Podagra crassipes Smith, 1902, Jl. New York Ent. Soc., 10: 48.

Diagnosis: Podagra crassipes is easily recognized by a combination of the massive, irregular spining of the prothoracic tibia and the blue-gray forewing scaling on a ground color of olive-tan. The ground color of the forewing is olive-tan, particularly visible in the middle and terminal regions of the wing. The costa is streaked with blue-gray from the antemedial line to the reniform. The median area is flecked with blue-gray in its lower half up to about the lower margins of the orbicular and reniform marks. A light dull white streak stretches from the base of the wing to the lower margin of the reniform mark. The antemedial line is obscure, but its lower half is marked with a vague darker blue-gray line. The lines, if visible, curves strongly outward in the middle of the iwng. The orbicular mark is absent except for a small blue-gray dot. The reniform mark is similarly nearly absent except for a vague blue-gray line. The the half of the postmedial line is a olive-tan line accented with darker blue-gray along its outer margin, but becomes vague from the lower end of the reniform mark to the costal margin. The region between the postmedial and subterminal lines is suffused with blue-gray and the subterminal line is accented on the veins with dark blue-gray streaks. The region between the subterminal line and the outer margin is olive tan with blue-gray streaks on the veins in some specimens. A terminal line of dark blue-gray streaks is present. The hindwing is white with a little gray infuscation on the veins along the outer margin in some specimens.

Adults have been collected in April and May.

Distribution: This species appears to be restricted to the Mohave Desert region of southeastern California and western and south central Arizona. There is some individual variation in the relative balance of blue-gran and tan-olive in the forewing. Some individuals have a pure white hindwing, but in others the veins are slightly dusted with dull gray-brown.

Identification Quality: Excellent

Larva: Unknown

Foodplants: Unknown

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