Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Species Aetole tripunctella - Hodges#2505

Aetole tripunctella (Walsingham) - Aetole tripunctella Aetole tripunctella Aetole - Aetole tripunctella Aetole - Aetole tripunctella Unusual Lepidopteran - Aetole tripunctella  Aetole tripunctella - Aetole tripunctella No. 344  Aetole unipunctella, Aetole tripunctella or other? - Aetole tripunctella No. 344  Aetole unipunctella, Aetole tripunctella or other? - Aetole tripunctella
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 Heliodinidae (Sun Moths)
Genus Aetole
Species tripunctella (Aetole tripunctella - Hodges#2505)
Hodges Number
2505
Other Common Names
Brilliant Sunspur (1)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Aetole tripunctella (Walsingham)
Orig. Comb: Heliodines tripunctella Walsingham 1892
Syn: Heliodines perichalca Meyrick, 1912 (2)
Size
forewing length 3.8 - 5 mm (2)
Identification
Adults - metallic chrome orange edged by elongate metallic gray tinged with blue, outer margin extending inward over half of dorsum and 1/3 of costa; three costal and one dorsal metallic gray spots tinged with blue. Spots rectangular, edged laterally in black. Outer margin also edged in metallic black. Fringe metallic gray (2)
Range
mostly Great Plains to Front Range - Map - MPG
Season
mostly May-Sept (3) - MPG
Life Cycle
larva is a leaf miner of heartleaf four o'clock (Mirabilis nyctaginea, Nyctaginaceae) (2)
Remarks
Type Locality: Bosque County, Texas; Type collected by Belfrage
Print References
Hsu, Y.-F., and J.A. Powell. 2005. Phylogenetic relationships within Heliodinidae and systematics of moths formerly assigned to Heliodines Stainton (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea). University of California Publications in Entomology 124: 1-158 + Figs. 26-220. Limited Preview
Internet References
Works Cited
1.iNaturalist
2.Phylogenetic Relationships within Heliodinidae
3.Illustrated Checklist of Lepidoptera from the Texas Hill Country and Adjacent Areas, Pub. 8
Ed Knudson & Charles Bordelon. 2001. Texas Lepidoptera Survey, Houston. 37 pp., 10 color plates.