Species Cisseps fulvicollis - Yellow-collared Scape Moth - Hodges# 8267

8267

Orange-collared Scape Moth (Moths of North Dakota) - a more appropriate name than "Yellow-collared", as the vast majority of individuals have an orange collar

Wingspan 30-37 mm

Adult: forewing dark brown or black; collar orange, occasionally yellow; thorax black; abdomen black, sometimes with blue iridescence; antennae pectinate

hindwing black with large translucent patch in discal area; translucent patch may appear pale grayish, bluish, or white, depending on lighting

often confused with Virginia Ctenucha and Grapeleaf Skeletonizer [see distinguishing features of those species in See Also section below]

Larva: hairy, whitish or pale yellow, with tufts of long hair springing from oval or round spots along body; hairs near head longer, usually blackish and projecting forward beyond front of head; head yellow to brownish-orange with black spots on face; dark dorsal and dorsolateral lines along body (may be obscured by hair)

Widespread in North America, including southeastern US, where Virginia Ctenucha is absent.

Fields with flowers. Adults commonly seen visiting flowers during the day; adults also fly at night, and are attracted to light.

Adults fly from May to October or first hard frost.

Larvae feed on grasses, lichens, and spike-rushes (Eleocharis spp.).

Adults take nectar from goldenrod, etc.

1. Eggs, 2. caterpillar, 3. pupa, 4. Adult, 5. mating pair

This species and the Virginia Ctenucha are probably Batesian mimics of wasps or perhaps distasteful beetles.

Many of these moths were shot feeding on Eupatorium spp., a genus rich in pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) which are toxic to most predators.

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The most fascinating example of tiger moth usage of PAs is by the Scarlet-bodied Wasp Moth (Cosmosoma myrodora) , for details, see:

Conner, W.E , R. Boada, F.C. Schroeder., A. Gonzàlez, J. Meinwald, & T. Eisner. 2001. Chemical defense: bestowal of a nuptial alkaloidal garment by a male moth upon its mate. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 97(26):14406-14411.

Adult Grapeleaf Skeletonizer (Harrisina americana) is similar but its abdomen is usually curled upwards and expanded at the tip into a fan-shaped, somewhat bilobed caudal tuft

Adult Virginia Ctenucha (Ctenucha virginica) is similar but larger, has blue iridescence on the thorax, completely black hindwings with no translucent patch, and does not occur in the southeastern United States (compare images of both species).

Hannah Nendick-Mason summarizes identification of these moths thus:

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It seems to me the shape of the yellow "collar" is a good distinction. In Ctenucha it is narrower at the nape and then spreads down to the shoulders (excuse ignorance of a better technical term). In Cisseps it goes almost straight across forming a neat line, and in Harrisina the line is blurred.

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Compare also the tiny Clemens' False Skeletonizer, Acoloithus falsarius.

Covell, p. 75, plate 11 #12 (1)

Himmelman, p. 188, plate C-3, compares Ctenucha and Cisseps (2)

Miller, #16, p. 34 (3)

Brimley, p. 266--Cisseps fulvicollis (4)

Moth Photographers Group - species page with photographs of living and pinned adults.

MIACY - live adult image plus other info (John Himmelman, Connecticut)

Georgia Leps - live adult image by Tony Galluci (Dalton State College, Georgia)

adult images plus food plants (Larry Line, Maryland)

live larva image (David Wagner, Discover Life, U. of Georgia)