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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Owlet Moths and kin (Noctuoidea) » Erebidae » Litter Moths (Herminiinae) » Idia » Greater Idia - Hodges#8324 (Idia majoralis)

Species Idia majoralis - Greater Idia - Hodges#8324

Classification · Hodges Number · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Life Cycle · See Also · Internet References · Works Cited

Greater Idia Moth -- Idia majoralis - Idia majoralis

Dyspyralis sp. or Something Close To It? - Idia majoralis

Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Superfamily Noctuoidea (Owlet Moths and kin)

Family Erebidae

Subfamily Herminiinae (Litter Moths)

Genus Idia

Species majoralis (Greater Idia - Hodges#8324)

Hodges Number

8324

Other Common Names

Woodrat Nest Moth (1)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Author: (Smith, 1895)

Size

wingspan 30 - 35mm (1)

Identification

Separation from Idia americalis:

The subterminal line (nearer to the costa) of majoralis forms a more squared distad point - like a square protrusion, whereas in americalis it is more a of point, like a small bump.

Also, in americalis, there is a dark patch on the terminal border of the FW just below the apex, that is not present in majoralis.

Range

Massachusetts to Montana south to Mexico (1)

Habitat

mostly found in woodrat (Neotoma) nests but probably in other habitats too. Woodrats prefer rock outcrops, caves and cliffs but Neotoma floridana also occurs in hardwood forests and swamps and some woodrats occur in deserts (1)

Season

adults fly June through September in most of its range (1)

Life Cycle

larvae live in and pupate inside woodrat nests (1)

See Also

I. americalis averages much smaller with some overlap of smallest I. majoralis and largest I. americalis. Hindwings of I. majoralis are duller and darker than I.americalis with lines less wavy. Forewings are more evenly colored and basal third is not paler, as it is on I. americalis. (1)

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group (MPG)

Barcode of Life (BOLD)

Works Cited

1.	Rare, Declining, and Poorly Known Butterflies and Moths of Forests and Woodlands in the Eastern United States Dale F. Schweitzer, Marc C. Minno, David L. Wagner. 2011. U.S. Forest Service, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team, FHTET-2011-01. .

Contributed by Cotinis on 20 January, 2006 - 12:36am
Additional contributions by jforbes, marcie oconnor, Randy Hardy, Steve Morris
Last updated 6 February, 2023 - 9:28am

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