Species Dichomeris leuconotella - Hodges#2299

2299

Two-spotted Dichomeris (1)

Dichomeris leuconotella (Busck, 1904)

Trichotaphe leuconotella Busck, 1904 (2)

* phylogenetic sequence #070975

Larva to 16-17 mm. (3)

Forewing length 5-8.5 mm. (4)

Records from across Canada and the northeast United States, west as far as Indiana, south as far as southern Ohio. One record from Denver, Colorado. (4), (5)

Type locality: Pullman, Washington.

Open fields. (3)

Larvae are leaf folders goldenrods (Solidago) and asters. (3)

Eggs laid singly on the underside of host leaf in summer. First and second instar larvae feed under or near elongate silk shelters. By third instar they pinch or fold the host leaf and feed within the shelter. Each larva constructs up to several leaf shelters before leaving the plant as a third or fourth instar larvae (3-4 mm) to overwinter in the leaf litter. The following spring larvae crawl back onto the host and begin several weeks of rapid feeding and growth. Larvae go through six or seven instars before pupating in folded leaf shelters in summer. (3)

Beadle, D. & S. Leckie 2012. Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America. Houghton Mifflin. p.67-68 (preview) (1)

Busck, A. 1904. Tineid Moths from British Columbia, with Descriptions of New Species. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 27: 762 (2)

Hodges, R.W. 1986. Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 7.1, p.109; pl.3.14 (6)

Loeffler, C.C. 1996. Caterpillar leaf folding as a defense against predation and dislodgment: Staged encounters using Dichomeris (Gelechiidae) larvae on Goldenrods. Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 50(3): 245-260 (3)

Powell, J.A. & P.A. Opler 2009. Moths of Western North America. University of California Press. p.102, pl.10.36f (4)