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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Ermine Moths and kin (Yponomeutoidea) » Sedge and False Diamondback Moths (Glyphipterigidae) » False Diamondback Moths (Acrolepiinae) » Acrolepiopsis » Carrionflower Moth - Hodges#2490 (Acrolepiopsis incertella)

Species Acrolepiopsis incertella - Carrionflower Moth - Hodges#2490

Classification · Hodges Number · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Season · Food · Life Cycle · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Carrionflower Moth - Acrolepiopsis incertella Carrionflower Moth - Acrolepiopsis incertella Acrolepiopsis incertella White-crescented micromoth - Acrolepiopsis incertella Glyphipterigidae, False Diamondback Moth, cocoon #2 - Acrolepiopsis incertella Glyphipterigidae, False Diamondback Moth, #2 spent pupa, dorsal - Acrolepiopsis incertella carrionflower moth - Acrolepiopsis incertella Glyphipterigidae, Sedge and False Diamondback Moth, lateral - Acrolepiopsis incertella
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 Yponomeutoidea (Ermine Moths and kin)
Family Glyphipterigidae (Sedge and False Diamondback Moths)
Subfamily Acrolepiinae (False Diamondback Moths)
Genus Acrolepiopsis
Species incertella (Carrionflower Moth - Hodges#2490)
Hodges Number
2490
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Acrolepiopsis incertella (Chambers, 1872)
described in 1872 by Chambers, who originally placed it in genus Heribeia
Formerly placed in family Plutellidae.
Numbers
There are seven species of the genus Acrolepiopsis in America north of Mexico.
Size
Wingspan about 11 mm, based on photo by Jim Vargo at MPG.
Identification
Adult: forewing slender, grayish-brown with reddish iridescence and small white triangular patch part-way along inner margin; distinct notch part-way along outer margin; hindwing brownish-gray, paler than forewing, with dark veins and whitish shading toward base.

Larva: body pale green with sparse short hairs.
Range
Heppner (2003) reported the range to include New Hampshire to Florida(1), west to Texas and Illinois. (2)
Season
The main flight period appears to be February to September. (3)
Heppner (2003) reported March and May in Florida. (2)
MJ Hatfield recorded a the emergence of a specimen from Iowa 10/29/21, BugGuide Photo#2089881. "... for A. incertella, this represents new information on host plant, larval feeding mode, and phenology. It also impacts the reliability of sight identifying spring-occurring adults..." - Terry Harrison (pers. comm. 9/8/22).
Food
The larvae feed on carrionflower or greenbrier (Smilax spp.), especially Bristly Greenbrier (S. tamnoides); also reported on lily (Lilium spp.)
Life Cycle
The larval hostplant terminal leaf is rolled and tied together at the edges by a larva, which lives and feeds inside the rolled leaf in early spring. After the larva finishes feeding, it vacates its rolled-leaf shelter and spins a meshwork silken cocoon, inside which it pupates. Adults emerge in late May and overwinter. One generation per year.
See Also
The similar Acrolepiopsis heppneri is a fall species, being present as a larva in September and October, and emerging as an adult in October.
Print References
Ellis, S. E. 2004. New Pest Response Guidelines Leek Moth Acrolepiopsis assectella (Zeller). USDA. PDF
Landry, J.-F., 2007. Taxonomic review of the leek moth genus Acrolepiopsis (Lepidoptera: Acrolepiidae) in North America. The Canadian Entomologist, 139(3): 319-353.
Internet References
Moth Photographers Group (3)
Microleps.org
larval foodplant in reference to lilies (John Hilty, Illinois)
distribution; list of boundary states (Dalton State College, Georgia)
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) (4)
Works Cited
1.Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Florida
2.Arthropods of Florida and Neighboring Land Areas: Lepidoptera of Florida
J.B. Heppner. 2003. Florida Department of Agriculture 17(1): 1-670.
3.North American Moth Photographers Group
4.BOLD: The Barcode of Life Data Systems
Contributed by john and jane balaban on 18 June, 2009 - 10:38pm
Additional contributions by Steve Nanz, Robin McLeod, Maury Heiman, marcie oconnor
Last updated 8 September, 2022 - 11:00am

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