Species Crambus whitmerellus - Whitmer's Sod Webworm Moth - Hodges#5345

5345

Crambus whitmerellus Klots, 1942 (1)

Phylogenetic sequence # 159375

whitmerellus: named by the describer (Alexander Klots) for his friend Richard Whitmer of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

wingspan 21-27 mm

Adult: forewing yellowish-brown with two white patches in subterminal area, brown V-shaped subterminal line, and black terminal line broken into 4 black dots in lower half; narrow white strip along costa for almost half its length; silvery-white longitudinal median stripe widens towards apex and has scimitar-shaped tip, with tooth mid-way along lower margin of stripe; hindwing light grayish-brown with white fringe

[see original detailed description by Alexander Klots, linked to in Internet References section below]

Alaska to Quebec, south in the Rocky Mountains to Colorado and Utah. (2)

Native grassland areas; adults fly during the day and also come to light at night.

Adults are most common from June to August.

Larvae presumably feed on grasses.

page creation based on Brian Scholtens' identification of this image, as reported by Bob Patterson in email message

Eastern Grass-veneer (Crambus laqueatellus) forewing has a different-shaped subterminal line, lacks black dots in terminal line, and does not occur west of Texas and North Dakota.

Moth Photographers Group

species account including pinned adult image by C.D. Bird, description, habitat, flight season, biology, foodplant, distribution (Strickland Entomological Museum, U. of Alberta)

live adult image by R. Bercha, plus common name reference [Whitmer's Sod Webworm Moth] and other info (insectsofalberta.com)

presence in Ontario; list (NHIC; Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources)