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Species Fascista cercerisella - Redbud Leaffolder - Hodges#2204

Caterpillar - Fascista cercerisella Redbud Leaffolder - Fascista cercerisella Fascista cercerisella Redbud Leaffolder - Fascista cercerisella Redbud Leaffolder - Fascista cercerisella Redbud Leaffolder - Fascista cercerisella Redbud Leaffolder - Fascista cercerisella Stitches Caterpillar - Some form of a tent caterpillar? - Fascista cercerisella
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 Gelechioidea (Twirler Moths and kin)
Family Gelechiidae (Twirler Moths)
Subfamily Gelechiinae
Tribe Gelechiini
Genus Fascista
Species cercerisella (Redbud Leaffolder - Hodges#2204)
Hodges Number
2204
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Fascista cercerisella (Chambers, 1872)
Depressaria cercerisella Chambers, 1872
Numbers
There are three species of the genus Fascista in America north of Mexico. (1)
Size
Wingspan 13-16 mm.
Identification
Adult: head and labial palps white or ivory; thorax and forewing shiny black; forewing with 3 white costal spots (largest near base) and another white spot at anal angle, hindwing pale gray
Adult specimen identified by DNA analysis (BOLD). (2)

Larva:
Range
Heppner (2003) reported the range to include Pennsylvania to Florida, Illinois to Texas. (3)
Habitat
Fascista cercerisella is usually found on or near redbud trees.
Season
Heppner (2003) reported adults January, April to May, August, October. (3)
Food
The larvae skeletonize leaves of Cercis canadensis L. (eastern redbud).
Life Cycle
Probably overwinters as a pupa on the ground in leaf litter and detritus; one generation per year, perhaps two in the south.
Remarks
Larvae damage Redbud leaves during feeding, and their leaf folding or tying is easy to spot on infested trees, as most of the leaves on the tree are affected.
Print References
Chambers, V.T. 1872. Micro-Lepidoptera. The Canadian Entomologist 4(1): 108.