Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Tubeworm, Bagworm, and Clothes Moths (Tineoidea) » Clothes Moths (Tineidae) » Tineinae » Ceratophaga » Gopher Tortoise Moth - Hodges#0414 (Ceratophaga vicinella)

Species Ceratophaga vicinella - Gopher Tortoise Moth - Hodges#0414

Goldcap Moss-eater Moth? - Ceratophaga vicinella

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 Tineoidea (Tubeworm, Bagworm, and Clothes Moths)

Family Tineidae (Clothes Moths)

Subfamily Tineinae

Genus Ceratophaga

Species vicinella (Gopher Tortoise Moth - Hodges#0414)

Hodges Number

0414

Explanation of Names

Author: Dietz, 1905

Range

Southeastern US

Food

Larvae feed exclusively on the shells of dead gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus).

Print References

Deyrup, M., N. D. Deyrup, M. Eisner, and T. Eisner. 2005. A Caterpillar that Eats Tortoise Shells. American Entomologist 51(4):245-8.

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group

Wikipedia

Contributed by Charley Eiseman on 3 February, 2010 - 6:16pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset
Last updated 1 August, 2016 - 3:09pm

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by: