Species Ancylis muricana - Red-headed Ancylis - Hodges#3377

3377

Ancylis muricana (Walsingham, 1879)

Phoxopteryx muricana Walsingham 1879 (1)

Phoxopteris cornifoliana Riley, 1881 (2)

Phylogenetic sequence #620665

Specific epithet from Latin muricatus meaning "purple colored" for the "purplish grey" thorax. (1)

Wingspan 9-13 mm. (3), (1)

Adult - original description (1):

Palpi short, whitish, the apical point almost concealed: head and patagia pale ferruginous; antennae slightly darker; thorax purplish grey. Fore wings - the costa arched; apex falcate - with the basal portion (nearly half) steel-blue towards the costa, blending into reddish brown outwardly along the dorsal margin, bounded on the dorsal half by a whitish oblique patch, and on the costal half by a reddish-brown or ferruginous ill-defined fascia, which is connected on its outer edge with a ferruginous shade towards the apex: several very short oblique whitish costal streaks, prolonged in blue lines towards the upper edge of the pale ocellated patch, of which the inner half is suffused with shining steel-blue; there is a shining silvery line at the base of the pale ochreous cilia. Hind wings brownish fuscous; cilia paler.

Type ♀ . Expanse of wings 10 mm.

Beginning of May 1871, Washington (D.C.)

Eastern half of the United States and southeastern Canada.

Record here of caterpillar shows a host plant is blackberry (Rubus species):

Walsingham, Thomas de Grey (Lord). 1879. North-American Torticidae. Illustrations of typical specimens of Lepidoptera Heterocera in the collection of the British Museum 4, 74, Pl.77, f.6 (1)

Moth Photographers Group

BOLD Systems