Exelastis dowi is a species of moth

Moth

A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...

 in the genus Exelastis

Exelastis

Exelastis is a genus of moth in the Pterophoridae family.-Species:*Exelastis atomosa *Exelastis bergeri Bigot, 1969*Exelastis boireaui Bigot, 1992*Exelastis caroli Gielis, 2008...

, known from the Bahamas, Belize

Belize

Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...

 and Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

.

Adults are on wing in March in Florida and in April in the Bahamas and Belize, and have a forewing length of 6-9.5 millimetres. The forewings are light buff to light ochraceous-buff mixed with light tan scales and the hindwings are slightly darker than the forewing and uniformly ochraceous-tawny with medium gray fringes.

Etymology

The species is named in honor of Mr. Linwood C. Dow who collected the holotype and paratypes from Key Largo, Florida and Belize.