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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Twirler Moths and kin (Gelechioidea) » Cosmet Moths (Cosmopterigidae) » Cosmopteriginae » Limnaecia

Genus Limnaecia

Classification · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Remarks · Internet References

Cosmopterigidae: Limnaecia phragmitella - Limnaecia phragmitella

Limnaecia phragmitella? - Limnaecia phragmitella

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 Cosmopterigidae (Cosmet Moths)

Subfamily Cosmopteriginae

Genus Limnaecia

Numbers

1 species in North America [L. phragmitella] (nearctica.com)

Size

wingspan 15-22 mm

larvae to 8 mm

Identification

forewing shiny yellowish-tan with two white-ringed dark brown dots in AM and PM areas; some dark brown shading near apex

hindwing tan shaded with gray

[description by Charles Covell]

Range

Nova Scotia to Virginia, west to Oklahoma, north to Ontario

also occurs in Eurasia

Habitat

marshes, fens, wet roadside ditches etc. where food plant grows

adults fly at night and are attracted to artificial light

Season

adults fly from June to August

Food

larvae feed on flowers and developing seeds of cattail (Typha spp.)

Remarks

Larval presence can often be detected by quantities of down protruding from the seedheads of cattails.

Internet References

live adult images of L. phragmitella plus description, food plants, and flight season (Lynn Scott, Ontario)

live adult image of L. phragmitella [by Ian Kimber in France], plus habitat and food plants (UK Moths)

live adult image of L. phragmitella, plus food plant (Mike Wall, Hants Moths, UK)

live adult image of L. phragmitella (Jeff Higgott, UK Lepidoptera)

adult images of L. phragmitella, plus food plants (Larry Line, Maryland)

live larva images of L. phragmitella [by Ian Smith], plus habitat and food plants (UK Moths)

live larva image of L. phragmitella [by Ben Smart] (Christopher Jonko, European Butterflies, Poland)

Contributed by Robin McLeod on 15 October, 2005 - 1:41pm
Last updated 15 October, 2005 - 2:53pm

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