Species Mompha cephalonthiella - Hodges#1433

1433

First described by Vactor Tousey Chambers in 1871 as Laverna cephalonthiella. The next time Chambers used the name (in 1875), he called it Laverna cephalanthiella.

The name is an obvious reference to the host plant, which is spelled Cephalanthus, so changing the spelling is allowed/required by the rules of the International Code for Zoological Nomenclature (the issue is whether the error can be demonstrated by evidence in the original publication, without using any external source of information).

cephalanthiella is from Cephalanthus, the generic name of the host plant + the diminutive suffix -ella

expanse ≈ 7-8mm (1)

Adult: Antennae gray, annulated with dark brown, with four or five very distinct white annulations near the tip ● FW irregularly spotted with velvety black, with an ochreous patch at the base of the inner margin, dusted with golden in the middle, and white specks along the costa ● Ochreous patches are not distinct in outline, and seem to be composed of confluent streaks ● Two tufts of elevated scales within the inner margin, the first velvety black, the second ochreous, margined with velvety black, and larger than the first ● Three velvety black, slightly oblique costal streaks, the first small, placed before the middle ; the second larger, behind the middle; and the third and largest just before the ciliae ● There is an oblique costal streak of rather dense white dusting before the apex, and an opposite dorsal one. Three dark brown hinder marginal lines, one at the base of the ciliae, the second before the apex and the third at the apex ● In some lights, the tufts glow with crimson and purple hues, and the ochreous patches assume the form of indefinite wide bands. (1)

The larvae feed on Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis (1)

The Canadian Entomologist, v.3 (1871), n.12, p.221 - Chambers' original description of the species (1)