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For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Species Kearfottia albifasciella - Hodges#0319

Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Tineoidea (Tubeworm, Bagworm, and Clothes Moths)
Family Psychidae (Bagworm Moths)
Subfamily Naryciinae
Genus Kearfottia
Species albifasciella (Kearfottia albifasciella - Hodges#0319)
Hodges Number
0319
Other Common Names
White-banded Kearfottia Moth
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Kearfottia albifasciella Fernald, 1904
Kearfottia (Psychidae)
Explanation of Names
Specific epithet from Latin meaning "white-banded."
Numbers
The only Kearfottia species that occurs in America north of Mexico.
Size
Wingspan 9-10 mm (Fernald, 1904).
Identification
Head: Dark brown, long haired (scaled). Palpi long, folded, dark brown, scaled (hairy) on underside. Antenna: Dark brown. Thorax: Dark brown. Underside yellowish-white. Wings: Dark brown-bronzy. Wide white stripe covering about half wing at center, narrowing slightly. Front border of stripe straight, hind border with two points. Costa border of stripe has 4 dark, evenly spaced dots, and inner margin has 3. Both sets sometimes faded or completely absent. Fringe dark brown. Sometimes dotted white along wing tip before fringe. May have a white fleck at anal angle. Hind wings and fringe gray-brown. Legs: Dark brown ringed with white. Abdomen: Gray-brown on top side. Underside of abdomen and legs are yellowish-white (Fernald, 1904).
Range
Found throughout much of eastern North America; Texas and Oklahoma; Ontario.
Moth Photographers Group - large map with some collection locations and dates.
Bug Guide - map of photo records submitted to the guide.
Described material: Plummers's Island, MD (Mr. August Busck, July 1893); Cincinnati, OH (Miss Annette F. Braun, July 7, 1903); Montclair, NJ (Mr. W.D. Kearfott).
Season
May to August.
Food
Debris, fungus, rotting animal and vegetation.
Print References
Fernald, C.H., 1903. A new genus and species of North American Choreutinae. The Canadian Entomologist 36(5): 131.
Hodges, Ronald W. (ed.) 1983. Check List of the Lepidoptera of America North of Mexico. (1)
Works Cited
1.Check list of the Lepidoptera of America north of Mexico.
Hodges, et al. (editors). 1983. E. W. Classey, London. 284 pp.