Species Pelochrista derelicta - Derelict Pelochrista - Hodges#3120

3120

Derelict Eucosma

Pelochrista derelicta (Heinrich, 1929) (1)

Eucosma derelicta Heinrich, 1929 (2)

Misspelled "derelecta" in some sources.

Specific epithet is Latin meaning "abandoned, deserted."

Wingspan about 12-18 mm. (2)

Adult - forewing has diagonal line from mid-costa to anal angle, with dark brown shading on proximal side, and light brown on distal side (some individuals have a tooth mid-way along the line); many fine squiggly lines cross the wing; dark grayish shading mid-way along outer margin extends into subterminal area; hindwing pale gray.

Eastern North america, Colorado, Washington and most of southern Canada from Nova Scotia to British Columbia. (2)

Holotype male: Tryon, North Carolina (Fiske, 8-13-04). (2)

Paratypes: Plummer's Island, MD (Busck, August, 1903); Essex County Park, NJ (Kearfott, July 22, Aug, 13); New Brighton, PA (Merrick, VII-26-07); Hampton, NH (S.A. Shaw, VII-25-1911); Hymers, Ontario (July 8-15); Kings County, Nova Scotia (14-July-25); Bilby, Alberta (O. Bryant, July 12,1924); Fraser Mills, British Columbia (L.E. Marmont(3), 10-VIII-20); Hot Springs, Green River, WA (July 8-15); Denver, CO ( Oslar).

Adults have been recorded on Block Island, RI, from late June to early September, with abundance peaking in August.(4)

Larvae feed on rootstalks of goldenrod (Solidago spp.). (2)

In California, Eucosma excusabilis is similar; it doesn't occur in the east (see pinned image by Todd Gilligan at tortricidae.com).

Eucosma juncticiliana and E. excusabilis distinguished by genitalia. Heinrich also mentions the shape of the outer margin but this does not seem supported by images at BOLD. (2)

Several other species in Pelochrista. See Remarks under P. comatulana.

Heinrich, C., 1929. Notes on some North American moths of the subfamily Eucosminae. Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 75: 13. (2)

Live and pinned images at Moth Photographers Group

Barcoding Life