Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Loxomorpha flavidissimalis (
Grote, 1878)--described in 1878 by Grote, who orginally placed it in genus
Botis Numbers
one of 2 species in this genus in North America listed at
All-LepsSize
wingspan about 18 mm, based on two photos by Jim Vargo at MPG
Identification
Adult:
forewing bright yellow with faint grayish AM and PM lines; discal spot a grayish patch, semi-hollow; PM line jogs abruptly near middle, forming a deep U-shaped sinus, then curves distally again before reaching inner margin; AM line irregular, not straight; no subterminal line
hindwing similarly colored except slightly paler near base; PM line very faint, shaped the same as on forewing; no AM line, discal spot, or subterminal line
Quoting
Chuck Sexton from comments on
iNaturalist: "One tiny detail I look for on this species is the short brown streaks at the base of the forewings, adjacent to the eyes. These are probably scales on the
tegulae rather than the wings, but they stand out from the rest of the bright golden yellow wing."
Larva:
Length 11 mm shining general color yellowish white legs concolorous head and cervical shield somewhat darker yellow. Sides parallel except for slightly raised splracular callosities faintly impressed median line. Two minute spots on cervical shield and spiracles black. Hairs long sparse most numerous on first six segments white in color arranged in subdorsal marginal and sub marginal series none on median line.
(a)
Pupa:
Inclosed in a whitish cocoon of thin dense paper like construction length 9 mm width 3 mm shining light brown head black. On thoracic segment one median and eight lateral fine longitudinal dark lines the ones on either side of the median line are double for a short distance near their anterior third.
(a)
Range
Internet records (as of February 2008) from Texas and Florida
Habitat
dry areas where larval foodplant grows
Food
larvae feed on cactus (Opuntia spp.)
Life Cycle
A generation of this species is produced in about 30 days.
(a)See Also
Hahncappsia species forewing lacks deep U-shaped sinus in PM line, hindwing has almost straight PM line, and both wings have a subterminal line (
see images of these and related species by Jim Vargo at MPG)
Print References
Grote, A. R. 1877 b: New Pyralides, III.
The Canadian Entomologist 9:
105Internet References
larval foodplant; PDF doc and technical characteristics of larva anatomy (M. Alma Solis, US Dept. of Agriculture)
presence in Florida; list (John Heppner, Florida State Collection of Arthropods)
presence in Texas; list (James Gillaspy, U. of Texas)