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Species Limnaecia phragmitella - Shy Cosmet - Hodges#1515

Representative Images

Shy Cosmet? First in BC - Limnaecia phragmitella Shy cosmet pupa case - Limnaecia phragmitella 1515 Shy Cosmet caterpillar - Limnaecia phragmitella Caterpillar - Limnaecia phragmitella Limnaecia phragmitella Shy Cosmet - Limnaecia phragmitella Shy Cosmet - Limnaecia phragmitella Cosmopterigidae, Shy Cosmet, dorsal - 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
Species phragmitella (Shy Cosmet - Hodges#1515)

Hodges Number

1515

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Limnaecia phragmitella Stainton, 1851

Numbers

The only species in this genus in North America (and the world?)

Size

Wingspan 15-22 mm (1)
Larvae to 8 mm.

Identification

Adult: FW shiny yellowish-tan with two white-ringed dark brown dots in AM and PM areas; some dark brown shading near apex; HW tan shaded with gray. (1)
[description by Charles Covell]
Larva: body whitish or pale tan with brown dorsal line; dorsolateral and ventrolateral lines composed of light brown irregular patches; head brown with darker brown spots; terminal abdominal segment with brown spots. (1)
Genitalia:
♀
♂

Range

Nova Scotia to Virginia, west to Oklahoma, north to Ontario; also occurs in Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. (1)

Habitat

Marshes, fens, wet roadside ditches etc. where food plant grows. (1)
Adults fly at night and are attracted to artificial light.

Season

Adults fly from June to August.

Food

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

Life Cycle

Larvae that emerged from a cattail; larva; pupal case in cattail fluff; pupal case; adult

Remarks

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

Print References

Hodges, R.W., 1978. The Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 6.1. E. W. Classey Ltd. and The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation. p. 48; plate 1, fig. 17, plate 4, figs. 5-6. (2)
Powell, J.A. & P.A. Opler 2009. Moths of Western North America. University of California Press. plate 7, fig. 20; p. 82. (3)

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group (4)
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) (5)
Wikipedia - brief description (1)
live adult image [by Ian Kimber in France], plus habitat and food plants (UK Moths)
adult images plus food plants (Larry Line, Maryland)

Works Cited

1.Wikipedia
2.The Moths of North America North of Mexico. Fascicle 6.1, Gelechioidea, Antequerinae, Cosmopteriginae, Chrysopeleiinae.
Hodges, R. W. 1978. London: E. W. Classey Ltd. and The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, 166 pp.
3.Moths of Western North America
Powell and Opler. 2009. UC Press.
4.North American Moth Photographers Group
5.BOLD: The Barcode of Life Data Systems
Contributed by Robin McLeod on 15 October, 2005 - 2:32pm
Additional contributions by Tony-2, anitagould, Chuck Entz, Maury Heiman, Robert Lord Zimlich, marcie oconnor, Fyn Kynd, Robert H. Biagi
Last updated 2 September, 2023 - 7:07pm

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