Species Elaphria festivoides - Festive Midget - Hodges#9681

9681

Elaphria festivoides (Guenée, 1852) (1)(2)

Celaena festivoides Guenée, 1852

Many synonyms listed in the PDF. (1)

Phylogenetic sequence # 932233

Forewing length 8.5–12 mm. (1)

Adult: distinct whitish reniform spot interrupts broad black dash in median area of forewing. Lower PM line also whitish. Rest of forewing brown: lighter brown with gray mottling near base and along costa, darker beyond PM line. Hindwing distinctly gray with a white fringe. See full description by Pogue and Sullivan 2003(2).

Southeast: North Carolina to Florida, west to Texas and north to Missouri.

Moth Photographers Group - large map with some distribution data.

Adults fly from February to October. (1)

January to November records on Moth Photographers Group. (3)

Larval host includes Box-elder (Acer negundo). (1), (4)

At least two generations per year (whereas the more northerly E. alapallida has one generation per year).

Pale-winged Midget (E. alapallida) is more northern. Festive slightly larger on average & generally drabber, lacking the bright rufous and white scales usually present in Pale-winged. Forewing markings generally less defined in Festive than Pale-winged; for example, claviform spot indistinct to absent in Festive, well developed in Pale-winged. Hindwing gray in Festive, whitish in Pale-winged. [adapted from Pogue and Sullivan 2003(2)]

Covell, pp. 135-136 and plate 27 #7. (4)

Moth Photographers Group

Species circumscription by Pogue and Sullivan 2003