Species Olethreutes inornatana - Inornate Olethreutes - Hodges#2788

2788

Olethreutes inornatana (Clemens, 1860)

Exartema inornatana Clemens, 1860 (1)

Exartema inornatanum

Sericoris inornatana

Specific epithet from Latin meaning "unadorned, undecorated."

Wingspan 15-22 mm. (2)

Adult - forewing pale yellowish or silvery-gray with scattered black speckling; dark shading around perimeter (along outer margin and mid-way along costa) may extend inward to cover more of wing surface in some individuals; thorax chestnut-colored with central blackish patch (visible as raised tufts of scales when viewed from the side); colors in preserved specimens more subdued (duller and darker) than in live individuals; hindwing gray with dark veins and either pale or dark fringe.

Larva - head and anal shield blackish, body white to pale green with pale reddish brown bands. (1)

Maine and Quebec to Ontario and Wisconsin, south to Illinois and Maryland; also reported from Kansas, Texas, and Alberta.

Larvae feed on leaves of black cherry (Prunus serotina), chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), dogwood (Cornus spp.), and strawberry (Fragaria spp.); also reported to feed on White Oak (Quercus alba). (3)

Olethreutes mysteriana is similar but lacks a chestnut thorax, and has less dark shading along outer margin of forewing.

O. quadrifidum is superficially similar but can be easily separated from O. inornatana by dissection.

Clemens, B., 1860. Contributions to American lepidopterology - No. 6. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 12: 357. (1)

Moth Photographers Group