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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 » Shy Cosmet - Hodges#1515 (Limnaecia phragmitella)

Species Limnaecia phragmitella - Shy Cosmet - Hodges#1515

Classification · Hodges Number · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Shy Cosmet? First in BC - Limnaecia phragmitella Shy Cosmet - Limnaecia phragmitella Shy Cosmet - Limnaecia phragmitella Shy Cosmet Moth - Limnaecia phragmitella A Cosmet Moth - Limnaecia phragmitella Limnaecia phragmitella 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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