Explanation of Names
Early Proteoteras: adults appear in April and May, at least a month earlier than the flight of other Proteoteras species
Size
wingspan 15-17 mm, based on several Internet photos
larva length to 10 mm
Identification
Adult: forewing mottled brown or gray and yellowish (often with greenish tint in fresh specimens); irregular blackish crescent-shaped marking begins mid-way along costa and either breaks in subterminal area or terminates in a dark blob before reaching apex; hindwing pale gray with dark veins
Larva: body pale white to gray; head dark brown or yellowish-brown; thoracic shield yellowish-brown, often darker laterally and posteriorly; spinules on integument moderately dense and dark
Range
Nova Scotia to British Columbia and all of United States
Habitat
deciduous woods containing maple; adults are nocturnal and come to light
Season
adults fly in April and May in the east, and into July or even later in the west
larvae present in spring soon after leaf-out in the west
Food
larvae bore in new twigs, petioles, and seeds of various maple species (Acer) and sometimes Buckeye and Horsechestnut
Life Cycle
one generation per year in the east; presumably two in the west
See Also
Black-cresecent Proteoteras (
P. crescentana) forewing is paler, and crescent-shaped marking is continuous to apex
Gray-flanked Proteoteras (
P. moffatiana) forewing is more extensively green, and the moth flies later in the season (mostly June to August)
Other species of Proteoteras also fly later (June and July) than aesculana
(
compare images of these and other species at MPG; also see photos of several
Proteoteras species at
All-Leps)
Internet References
41 pinned adult images and site collection map (All-Leps)
pinned adult images and photos of related species by Jim Vargo (Moth Photographers Group)
live adult images and common name reference [Early Proteoteras; adult] (Bob Patterson, Maryland)
pinned adult image by Jim Vargo, plus date (Dalton State College, Georgia)
live larva images and illustrations of damage, plus common name references, flight season in the west, larval seasonality and foodplants (Oregon State U.)
species account including foodplants, distribution, description of adult and larva, biology, and photo of damage (J.D. Solomon, courtesy forestpests.org)
common name reference [Maple Twig Borer; larva] (Entomological Society of Canada)
comparison to Codling Moth (Wisconsin Dept. of Agriculture)
presence in British Columbia; PDF doc citing larval damage to seeds (Govt. of British Columbia)
presence in Florida; list (John Heppner, Florida State Collection of Arthropods)
presence in Texas; list (James Gillaspy, U. of Texas)
presence in California 9 specimen records plus locations and dates (U. of California at Berkeley)
