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Family Heliodinidae - Sun Moths

Heliodinidae on Wild 4 O'Clocks, dorsal - Neoheliodines nyctaginella Lithariapteryx elegans Flower Moth? - Lithariapteryx Lithariapteryx jubarella? - Lithariapteryx jubarella Arizona Moth - Embola ciccella Embola powelli? - Embola powelli A giant among unipunctellas? - Aetole Neoheliodines
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 Yponomeutoidea (Ermine Moths and kin)
Family Heliodinidae (Sun Moths)
Numbers
72 described species, mostly in New World
Identification
Many species hold hind legs elevated at rest. Formally, "Members of the family Heliodinidae are metallic-colored, mostly diurnal moths. They have the following combination of characters: (1) base of haustellum naked; (2) head scales closely appressed; (3) metallic-colored scaling covering body and wings; (4) apophyses anteriores with ventral branches originating from a medial band that forms a sclerotized bridge between them; (5) tegumen enormously expanded posteriorly with gnathos completely fused with it or absent; (6) pupa with stiff lateral and dorsal setae."(1)
Food
Often Nyctaginaceae and other members of Caryophyllales(1)
Internet References