Longhorned Fairy Moth - Adela caeruleella

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Fairy Moths and kin (Adeloidea) » Fairy Moths (Adelidae) » Adelinae » Adela » Southern Longhorn Moth - Hodges#0227 (Adela caeruleella)

Photo#11554

Copyright © 2005 Cotinis

Longhorned Fairy Moth - Adela caeruleella -

Durham County, North Carolina, USA
May 10, 2004
Size: circa 5 mm

A male and female of the same species on a blackberry, Rubus, flower. Female (dark, shorter, bicolored antennae) is on left, male (brown, longer antennae) is on right. (See caption to other image for reference on gender.) The darker individual (female) was scared up by my approach and flew onto some poison ivy, where I was able to get a closer shot.

Both Brimley (1) and the North Carolina State Entomology Collection family Incurvariidae lists just genus Adela (from subfamily Adelinae in that classification) and just one species, A. caeruleella (syn. bella). Brimley lists A. bella from Raleigh (near Durham) in April and May. So this is likely Adela caeruleella.

Images of this individual: tag all

Longhorned Fairy Moth - Adela caeruleella - female

Longhorned Fairy Moth - Adela caeruleella - male - female

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Contributed by Cotinis on 18 February, 2005 - 6:18pm
Last updated 30 April, 2012 - 10:36am

Moved

Moved from Adela.

… John R. Maxwell, 13 May, 2009 - 8:12am

Correct

The only eastern-USA Adela that is purple with no white markings on the forewing is A. caeruleella (formerly known as A. bella).

… Terry Harrison, 5 May, 2009 - 4:41pm

Fairy Moth?

Moths (at least males) in the family Adelidae have very long antennae, some with a hairy base as in your photo. A couple of shots from Canada (1, 2), the second one showing banding on the legs, similar to your closeup shot.

… Robin McLeod, 18 February, 2005 - 9:21pm

Am liking Adelidae

With all due respect to Troy, I am liking the Adelidae theory. I found several more photos on the web that resemble these critters.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina

… Cotinis, 18 February, 2005 - 10:19pm

Good info

I may have been off base about the caddisflies. Those are some long antennae!

… Troy Bartlett, 18 February, 2005 - 9:35pm

With long antennae like that...

I would consider longhorned caddisflies. It's neat how the one has dark pigment at the base of the antennae. The darker one definitely has the general wing shape that I associate with caddisflies.

… Troy Bartlett, 18 February, 2005 - 8:31pm

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