Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar

TaxonomyBrowse
Info
ImagesLinksBooksData

Genus Palpita

Palpita sp. - Palpita Moth - Palpita atrisquamalis splendid palpita - Palpita magniferalis Four-spotted Palpita Moth - Palpita quadristigmalis Gracile Palpita Moth? - Palpita atrisquamalis Palpita - Palpita aenescentalis Moth to porch light  - Palpita Splendid Palpita? - Palpita magniferalis
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 Spilomelinae
Tribe Margaroniini
Genus Palpita
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Palpita Hübner 1808
Explanation of Names
The Latin verb palpito (inf. palpitare) is "to tremble or throb". (Latin dictionary entry.)
Numbers
Twelve species in our area. (1)
Size
wingspan 16-27 mm
Identification
Adult: FW often translucent grayish or whitish with dark speckling and/or spots
P. aenescentalis         P. arsaltealis               P. flegia                       P. gracialis                   P. kimballi                 P. magniferalis             P. quadristigmalis
Range
Quebec and Maine to Florida, west to Arizona, north to Manitoba
Season
adults fly from April to October
Internet References
North Carolina State University Entomology Collection lists two species from that state, with number pinned: illibalis (5), quadristigmalis (2).
Palpita quadristigmalis pinned adult image, Hodges #5218, Clemson University
P. ilibialis Hodges #5223 adult image (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.