Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Species Ethmia semilugens - Hodges#0976

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Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Gelechioidea (Twirler Moths and kin)
Family Depressariidae
Subfamily Ethmiinae
Genus Ethmia
No Taxon (semilugens group)
Species semilugens (Ethmia semilugens - Hodges#0976)
Hodges Number
0976
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Ethmia semilugens (Zeller, 1872)
Psecadia semilugens Zeller, 1872
Numbers
There are 52 named species of Ethmia in America north of Mexico. (1)
Size
Forewing length 8-12 mm
Larva length to 23 mm
Identification
Adult: forewing blackish in upper half and white in lower half, the two colors sharply demarcated by a fairly straight line punctuated by two small oblong areas about a third and two-thirds distance along wing; terminal line composed of black spots, two of which are visible inside a white apical patch; top of head and thorax white with three or four large black spots; hindwing white with dark terminal line and some grayish-brown shading at apex
Range
Texas to California, north to Colorado and Utah (1)
Moth Photographers Group - large map with some distribution data.
Habitat
Dry areas where foodplant grows. (2)
Season
Most records are from February to August. (1)
Two generations per year. (2)
Food
Larvae feed on Phacelia spp. including:
Calthaleaf Phacelia (Phacelia calthifolia)
Cleftleaf Wildheliotrope (Phacelia crenulata)
Remarks
Adults are nocturnal and come to light. (2)
See Also
forewing of Ethmia hodgesella and Ethmia sphenisca has wavier (more sinusoidal) demarcation between dark and light areas, and E. sphenisca occurs only in Arizona in the US
other species of Ethmia have a different forewing pattern and/or a different distribution
Print References
Powell, J.A. & P.A. Opler, Moths of Western North America, Pl. 5.31m; p. 70.(3)
Powell, J.A. 1971. Biological studies on moths of the genus Ethmia in California (Gelechioidea). (2)
Works Cited
1.North American Moth Photographers Group
2.Biological studies on moths of the genus Ethmia in California (Gelechioidea)
Jerry A. Powell. 1971. The Lepidopterists' Society 25(3): 1-167.
3.Moths of Western North America
Powell and Opler. 2009. UC Press.