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Species Epiblema otiosana - Bidens Borer - Hodges#3202

Moth ID - Epiblema otiosana Bidens Borer - Epiblema otiosana Bidens Borer Moth - Epiblema otiosana ? - Epiblema otiosana Bidens Borer moth - Epiblema otiosana Moth - Epiblema otiosana Epiblema otiosana - Bidens Borer - Epiblema otiosana Bidens Borer - Epiblema otiosana
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Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Tortricoidea (Tortricid Moths)
Family Tortricidae (Tortricid Moths)
Subfamily Olethreutinae
Tribe Eucosmini
Genus Epiblema
No Taxon (otiosana group)
Species otiosana (Bidens Borer - Hodges#3202)
Hodges Number
3202
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Epiblema otiosana (Clemens, 1860)
Monosphragis otiosana Clemens, 1860 (1)
Paedisca inclinana Zeller, 1875
Explanation of Names
Species name otiosana appears to be derived from Latin otios meaning "lazy." (2).
Common name from the host plant.
Size
Wingspan 12-20 mm. (3)
Identification
Forewing mixed gray, brown, and black; large silvery-white blotch extends inward from inner margin; large rounded whitish spot at anal angle usually inconspicuous because of dark speckling [description by Charles Covell].
Range
Maine and Ontario to Florida, west to Kansas and Texas.
Habitat
Stream banks, river floodplains, damp meadows.
Season
Adults fly from May to September.
Food
Larvae bore into the stems of Bidens species (e.g. beggar-ticks and Spanish needles), ragweed, and smartweed (Polygonum spp.). (3)
See Also
Eucosma parmatana is variable and can sometimes look quite similar to this species. See discussion here.

Print References
Clemens, B. 1860. Contributions to American Lepidopterology. No. 6. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.12: 354. (1)
Covell Jr., C.V. 1984. A field guide to the moths of eastern North America. p.416, plate 60 #3 (4)
Gilligan, T.M., D.J. Wright & L.D. Gibson 2008. Olethreutine Moths of the Midwestern United States. Bulletin of the Ohio Biological Survey 16(2): p.125.190 (5)
Zeller, P.C. 1876. Beiträge zur Kenntniss der nordamericanischen Nachtfalter, besonders der Microlepidopteren. Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien. 25: 301; pl. 9, fig. 32
Works Cited
1.Contributions to American lepidopterology - No. 6.
Brackenridge Clemens. 1860. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 12: 345-362.
2.Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms
Donald J. Borror. 1960. Mayfield Publishing Company.
3.Revision of the North American moths of the subfamily Eucosminae of the family Olethreutidae
Carl Heinrich. 1923. United States National Museum Bulletin 123: 1-298.
4.Peterson Field Guides: Eastern Moths
Charles V. Covell. 1984. Houghton Mifflin Company.
5.Olethreutine Moths of the Midwestern United States, An Identification Guide
Gilligan, Todd M., Donald J. Wright, and Loran D. Gibson. 2008. Ohio Biological Survey, P.O. Box 21370, Columbus, Ohio 43221-0370.
6.North American Moth Photographers Group
7.BOLD: The Barcode of Life Data Systems
8.Gilligan, T. M., J. Baixeras, J. W. Brown & K. R. Tuck. 2014. T@RTS: Online, World Catalogue of the Tortricidae.