Numbers
one of 5 species in this genus in North America listed at
All-LepsSize
wingspan about 15 mm, based on two specimens shown on Internet
larvae to 20 mm
Identification
Adult: forewing brownish-yellow mottled with white patches, especially in basal half; basal, AM, and PM lines wavy, bordered by white; reniform spot an irregular-shaped blackish patch; terminal line consists of three main black dots - one at the apex, and two closer to anal angle, with both areas surrounded by small white patch; subterminal line lacking (unlike H. rogatalis which has a subterminal line composed of several equally-spaced black dots); hindwing light gray
Range
southern United States (Florida to Arizona), north in the east to North Carolina
also occurs south to South America
Habitat
gardens, commercial crop fields; the moths make short erratic flights when flushed from plants during the day; adults are nocturnal and attracted to light
Food
young larvae bore into buds, stems, and stalks of crucifers (plants in the mustard family) and related weeds, including cabbage, turnip, beet, collard, cauliflower, kale, rutabaga, radish, kohlrabi, mustard, rape, horseradish, shepherds purse, purslane
older larvae spin silken webs on leaves and feed on outer leaves during the day within these webs
Life Cycle
up to 350 eggs are laid on host plant buds, hatching in three days; larvae feed in summer and fall, and overwinter in soil as pupae or larvae in silk-lined cells
See Also
Cabbage Webworm Moth (
Hellula rogatalis) forewing has smoothly-rounded oval or kidney-shaped reniform spot (not an irregular-shaped blotch), less white in basal half of wing, and a subterminal line consisting of several equally-spaced black dots (whereas
H. phidilealis lacks a subterminal line, and its terminal line consists of only 3 main dots, not equally-spaced)
H. aqualis is larger, has a white median area, indistinct basal and AM lines, indistinct reniform spot, and the black dots in the terminal line are not surrounded by white patches
(
compare images of all 3 species at MPG)
Internet References
pinned adult image by Jim Vargo (Moth Photographers Group)
pinned adult images of similar species by Jim Vargo (Moth Photographers Group)
pinned adult image plus distribution and foodplant (Matthew Barnes, Moths of Jamaica)
biology and overview of
H. rogatalis (Phillip Roberts and Paul Guillebeau, U. of Georgia)
pest status on cabbage and common name reference (U. of Florida)
common name reference and chemical control info (U. of Guyana)
presence in Florida; list (Florida State Collection of Arthropods)
presence in Arizona; list (Bruce Walsh, Moths of Southeastern Arizona)
