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Species Dichomeris vacciniella - Hodges#2286

Representative Images

Dichomeris vacciniella - Dichomeris vacciniella Dichomeris vacciniella - Dichomeris vacciniella moth - Dichomeris vacciniella Twirler Moth - Dichomeris vacciniella Pennsylvania Moth - Dichomeris vacciniella Dichomeris vacciniella Unidentified moth in Alabama - Dichomeris vacciniella Dichomeris vacciniella
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 Gelechioidea (Twirler Moths and kin)
Family Gelechiidae (Twirler Moths)
Subfamily Dichomeridinae
Genus Dichomeris
Species vacciniella (Dichomeris vacciniella - Hodges#2286 )

Hodges Number

2286

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Dichomeris vacciniella Busck, 1915 (1)
Nothris nephanthes Meyrick, 1929 (2)
* phylogenetic sequence #070300

Explanation of Names

Specific name vacciniella is from the host genus Vaccinium (blueberry).

Size

Wingspan 15-17 mm. (1)

Identification

Detailed description can be found in MONA Fascicle 7-1 at link in citations below. (3)

Range

Records from southern Ontario and southern Quebec, Maine south to Florida, west to Texas. (4), (5), (6)
Lectotype ♂ collected Princeton, New Jersey (9 July 1914). (7)

Food

Larval hosts are species of (Vaccinium, Ericaceae) including cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton) and Blue Ridge blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum Aiton). (1), (8)

Remarks

According to MONA Fascicle 7-1, adults do not come to light readily. This species can be quite variable with some specimens an even dark reddish brown with little maculation evident, whereas others are pale dark yellowish gray with two prominent dark forewing streaks. (3)

See Also

Dichomeris georgiella and Dichomeris ventrellus lack the pair of dark brown forewing streaks that are typical of vacciniella. Also, the head of vacciniella is dark and contrasts in shade with thorax, whereas the head of georgiella and ventrellus do not contrast so markedly with thorax. (3)

Print References

Busck, A. 1915. Descriptions of new North American Microlepidoptera. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 17(2): 83 (1)
Hodges, R.W. 1986. Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 7.1, p.76; pl.2.2-4

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group (MPG)
Barcode of Life (BOLD)

Works Cited

1.Descriptions of new North American microlepidoptera.
August Busck. 1915. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 17(2): 79-94.
2.Checklist of Gelechiidae (Lepidoptera) in America North of Mexico
Lee S., Hodges R.W., Brown R.L. 2009. Zootaxa 2231: 1–39.
3.The Moths of America North of Mexico: Fascicle 7.1, Revision of North American Gelechiidae family and...
Hodges, R. W. 1986. The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation.
4.North American Moth Photographers Group
5.A List of the Lepidoptera of Maine. Part 2, The Microlepidoptera. Section 1 & 2
Auburn E. Brower. 1984. Maine Agricultural Experiment Station Technical Bulletin 114: 1-70.
6.Kentucky Butterfly Net Database (moths also)
7.Catalog of the type specimens of Gelechioidea (Lepidoptera) in the collection of the NMNH, Smithsonian Institution
Brown, J.W, D. Adamski, R.W. Hodges & S.M. Bahr, II. 2004. Zootaxa 510: 160 pp.
8.HOSTS - The Hostplants and Caterpillars Database
Contributed by tom murray on 29 November, 2008 - 8:09pm
Additional contributions by Tony-2, Randy Hardy, Steve Morris
Last updated 12 June, 2023 - 12:35pm

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