Species Helcystogramma hystricella - Lanceolate Helcystogramma - Hodges#2268

2268

Lanceolate Moth

Helcystogramma hystricella (Braun, 1921)

Brachmia hystricella Braun, 1921 (1)

* phylogenetic sequence #069650

Specific name hystricella from the former generic name of the host plant Hystrix patula (=Elymus hystrix).

Wingspan about 13-15 mm. (1)

Total length 6-9 mm. (2)

Adult - forewing slender with pointed apex; ground color whitish or pale gray with several dark stripes running length of wing; three dark spots arranged in a triangle in median area; top of thorax and inner margin of forewing near base shaded with brown; terminal line dark; fringe scales pale-based and dark-tipped. Hindwing uniformly whitish with long white fringe scales. See Braun's original description in Print References.

Genitalia:

Larva - see Braun's original description in Print References.

Records from Minnesota to Pennsylvania, south to Maryland and Kentucky, west as far as Oklahoma and Kansas. (3), (4), (5)

Type locality: Cincinnati, Ohio. (1)

Larvae are leaf rollers on grasses, including eastern bottlebrush grass (Elymus hystrix L., Poaceae). (1), (2), (6)

Larva overwinters in a rolled leaf on the host plant. (1)

Helcystogramma fernaldella and Helcystogramma melanocarpum are paler with indistinct streaking.

Beadle, D. & S. Leckie 2012. Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America. Houghton Mifflin. p.66-67 (preview) (2)

Braun, A.F. 1921. Notes on Microlepidoptera with descriptions of new species. Entomological news, and proceedings of the Entomological Section of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 32(1): 11-12 (1)

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