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Genus Hahncappsia

Unknown Caterpillar - Hahncappsia neomarculenta Hahncappsia fordi Hahncappsia Crambidae, dorsal - Hahncappsia marculenta Caterpillar - Hahncappsia neomarculenta Pyralid July 31 - Hahncappsia Arizona Moth - Hahncappsia huachucalis Neohelvibotys arizonensis ?  - Hahncappsia fordi
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 Pyraloidea (Pyralid and Crambid Snout Moths)
Family Crambidae (Crambid Snout Moths)
Subfamily Pyraustinae
Tribe Pyraustini
Genus Hahncappsia
Explanation of Names
HAHNCAPPSIA: named in 1976 by Murnroe in honor of Hahn William Capps, a USDA entomologist from 1938-64 who described 7 species in this genus
Numbers
14 species in our area(1):
H. alpinensis Capps, 1967 (2)
H. cochisensis Capps, 1967 (2)
H. coloradensis Grote & Robinson, 1867
H. fordi Capps, 1967 (2)
H. huachucalis Capps, 1967 (2)
H. jaralis Schaus, 1920
H. mancalis Lederer, 1863
H. marculenta Grote & Robinson, 1867
H. mellinialis Druce, 1899
H. neobliteralis Capps, 1967 (2)
H. neomarculenta Capps, 1967 (2)
H. pergilvalis Hulst, 1886
H. pseudobliteralis Capps, 1967 (2)
H. ramsdenalis Schaus, 1920
Size
wingspan 18-24 mm, based on photos by Jim Vargo at MPG
Identification
Adult: forewing color varies by species from white to dull yellow to orangish-brown; AM and PM lines wavy and irregular, the PM line usually with a few small teeth; subterminal line fairly straight, diffuse and somewhat blurred, varying from distinct to almost invisible; hindwing semitransparent in basal two-thirds, becoming more opaque in distal third; upper two-thirds with fairly straight PM and ST lines in several species (lines do not reach inner margin, but may appear to do so in living moths at rest with lower third of hindwing folded under); H. coloradensis may have no noticeable lines on hindwing
Range
most of United States and southern Canada, south through Mexico to Costa Rica; one tropical species occurs south to Bolivia
Season
adults fly in July and August
Food
depending on species, larvae may feed on dock (Rumex), goldenrod, mint, morning glory, pigweed (Amaranthus), ragweed (Ambrosia), and tobacco; reports of H. pergilvalis feeding on corn are questionable
See Also
adults of a number of other genera are similar but lack one or more of the following characters: fairly straight ST line on forewing; toothed PM line on forewing; straight lines on hindwing (compare images of numerous other genera by Jim Vargo at MPG)
Internet References
pinned adult images of 7 species by Jim Vargo, plus photos of related species/genera (Moth Photographers Group)
range maps of all 14 NA species plus foodplants of several species, type specimen localities, synonyms, references (Markku Savela, FUNET)
pinned adult image of H. pergilvalis by John Glaser, plus dates, distribution and questionable foodplant (Larry Line, Maryland)
Works Cited
1.Annotated check list of the Pyraloidea (Lepidoptera) of America North of Mexico
Scholtens, B.G., Solis, A.M. 2015. ZooKeys 535: 1–136. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.535.6086.
2.Review of some species of Loxostege (Hübner) and descriptions of new species (Lepidoptera, Pyraustidae, Pyrausinae)
Hahn W. Capps. 1967. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 120(3361): 1-75.