Species Atteva punctella - Ailanthus Webworm Moth - Hodges#2401

2401

Atteva punctella (Cramer, 1781)

9 synonyms listed at All-Leps but none more recent than 1912

described in 1781 by Cramer, who originally placed it in genus Phalaena

Species name is from Latin punct a sting or prick, plus suffix ella small (1), referring to spots on wings.

the only species in this genus in North America listed at All-Leps

wingspan 18-30 mm

Adult: forewing orange with several large black and white rosettes with some variability which has led to many different names (2). Covell notes that the Florida population has smaller spots and was previously considered a separate species (Atteva floridana)(3). Hindwing translucent black. The bright pattern of the forewings is likely aposematic in this subfamily (Kristensen, 1999).

From Ontario and New York south to Florida, west to Nebraska and Texas, and south into Mexico, common (3)(2).

Larvae are found in webs in Ailanthus (2). Adults found taking nectar from flowers.

adults fly from March to November (3)

Adults take nectar of flowers in old-field habitats. Larvae feed on leaves of Ailanthus and paradise trees (3) and other deciduous trees and shrubs (4).

Larvae live in communal webs (3). One generation a year (4). The main larval food plant (Ailanthus altissima) is also known as Tree of Heaven, Stinking Sumac, Copal Tree, or Varnish Tree, and occurs throughout most of United States and southern Canada, often planted as an ornamental in urban areas. The tree is native to Asia, and is an invasive species in North America, but the moth is native, and its range has increased, presumably, since the introduction of the tree.