Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
placed by some authors in the family Plutellidae, or in the family Yponomeutidae (subfamily Plutellinae)
Numbers
35 species in North America (
nearctica.com)
Identification
small moths with fairly broad forewings, hooked at the tip; at rest, the hooked tips project upward, giving a "duck-tailed" profile
Range
much of North America and southern Canada
also represented throughout Eurasia
Season
adults fly from June to September
larvae in May and June
Food
larvae feed on leaves of various shrubs and trees
Remarks
Ypsolopha was placed in the family Ypsolophidae by Dugdale et al (1999) in Kristensen N.P. (editor) Lepidoptera: Moths and butterflies. Volume 1: Evolution, systematics and biogeography. Handbook of Zoology. Walter de Gruyter. Berlin/New York.
Internet References
live adult images of 3 species by various photographers (Moth Photographers Group)
live adult images of
Y. dentella (Lynn Scott, Ontario)
pinned adult image of
Y. dentella (Kimmo and Seppo Silvonen, Finland)
live larva image of
Y. cervella plus description, food plant, and seasonality (Jeffrey Miller, Caterpillars of Pacific Northwest Forests and Woodlands; USGS)
live larva image of
Y. dentella (Ben Smart, UK Moths)
classification of genus Ypsolopha in family Ypsolophidae (Brian Pitkin
et al, Butterflies & Moths of the World)
