Protorthodes alfkenii Grote 1895

Protorthodes alfkenii is a moth in the family Noctuidae first described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1895. It is found in North America from central Oregon, southern Idaho, central Wyoming and north-western Texas southward to southern Mexico. The habitat consists of open arid woodlands.

The length of the forewings is 11–14 mm. It is an extremely variable species in terms of size, ground color and pattern, yet is easily identified by a combination of features. The orbicular spot is usually rounded, surrounded by a thin black line, and the spot itself usually is paler than the ground color. The reniform spot is oblique, with the lower part of the spot projecting toward the anal angle of the wing. The light and dark marks on the forewing, and the tendency for longitudinal streaks on the wing, give the forewing a busy appearance. The hindwings in males are white, often with a slight pearly sheen and with fuscous shading confined to the veins and outer part of the wing. Some females have more extensive fuscous shading on the hindwings, but usually a pearly sheen is still evident. Adults have been recorded on wing in the south from April to late June and again from early September to early November. In the Pacific Northwest they fly from mid-July to late September.

The larvae feed on various herbaceous plants.

Protorthodes alfkenii là một loài bướm đêm trong họ Noctuidae.

Protorthodes alfkenii is an extremely variable species in terms of size, ground color, and pattern, yet with practice it usually is easily identified by a combination of features. The orbicular spot usually is rounded, surrounded by a thin black line, and the spot itself usually is paler than the ground color, often contrasting so; the reniform spot is oblique, unlike other species in the genus, with the lower part of the spot projecting toward the anal angle of the wing; the light and dark marks on the forewing, and the tendency for longitudinal streaks on the wing, give the forewing a busy appearance instead of the softer, more even ground pattern of most other species. The hindwing in males, and many females, is white, often with a slight pearly sheen, with fuscous shading confined to the veins and outer part of the wing. Some females have more extensive fuscous shading on the hindwings, but usually a pearly sheen is still evident. Forewing length varies from 11 to 14 mm. The male genitalia differ from those of other species of Protorthodes in that the digitus is long and pointed, projecting below the ventral margin of the valve at a right angle, the ampulla of the clasper is almost straight, projecting dorsoposteriorly toward the upper part of the cucullus, then bending abruptly through 90°near its apex to project ventrally. The vesica has 2½ medial coils and projects anterolaterally to the right from the end of the aedeagus. In the female genitalia the appendix bursae has two full coils and is at the posterior end of the corpus bursae on the left side. The ductus bursae is long and cylindrical, about 7 × as long as wide with the posterior 4/5th lightly sclerotized.

Perigea alfkenii: syntypes, 1 ♂ male, 2 ♀ females, USNM, examined. Type locality: [southwestern USA]. Perigea latens: lectotype ♂, USNM, examined. Type locality: California, San Diego. Taeniocampa occluna: holotype ♂, USNM, examined. Type locality: New Mexico, Mesilla Park.