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Species Frechinia laetalis - Hodges#4800

Representative Images

Moth 20 - Frechinia laetalis Frechinia helianthialis Q - Frechinia laetalis Frechinia laetalis Arizona Moth - Frechinia laetalis Hodges#4800 - Frechinia laetalis - female Hodges#4800 - Frechinia laetalis Frechinia laetalis Hodges#4800 - Frechinia laetalis
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 Odontiinae
Tribe Odontiini
Genus Frechinia
Species laetalis (Frechinia laetalis - Hodges#4800)

Hodges Number

4800

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Frechinia laetalis (Barnes & McDunnough, 1914)
Titanio laetalis Barnes & McDunnough, 1914
* phylogenetic sequence #144650

Explanation of Names

Laetalis is from Latin meaning "joyful".

Size

Forewing length 4.5-6.0 mm.(1)

Identification

Adult - forewing white with yellowish-brown patches and some gray scales; PM line white, curving in long arc from costa to mid-way along inner margin; medium brownish-gray patch inside PM line contains white scales along veins; hindwing white in male, dark gray in female.
Genitalia:

Range

Most widespread of this genus, from eastern Washington and Oregon to Utah, southern California, and western Texas.(1)

Season

Adults fly from April to October in California.(1)

Food

Leaf miners of ragweed (Ambrosia, Asteraceae).(1)

Remarks

Type locality: USA, Arizona, Redington

See Also

Frechinia helianthiales forewing has dark gray patch inside PM line, with black scales along veins, whereas that same area in laetalis is paler with white scales along veins.

Print References

Barnes, W. & J. H. McDunnough 1914. Some new North American Pyraustinae. Contributions to the natural history of the Lepidoptera of North America 2(6): 238, pl.2, fig. 16.
Powell, J. A. & P. A. Opler 2009. Moths of Western North America. University of California Press. pl.21.37f, p.170

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group – images of pinned adults (2)
BOLD Systems - images of pinned DNA supported specimens (3)
presence in California; list of 8 specimens with dates and locations (U. of California at Berkeley)

Works Cited

1.Moths of Western North America
Powell and Opler. 2009. UC Press.
2.North American Moth Photographers Group
3.BOLD: The Barcode of Life Data Systems
Contributed by Robin McLeod on 31 January, 2008 - 1:05am
Additional contributions by Randy Hardy, Kyhl Austin, Robert H. Biagi
Last updated 3 April, 2024 - 7:28pm

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