Species Mompha circumscriptella - Hodges#1434

Classification · Hodges Number · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Identification · Food · Remarks · Internet References

Mompha circumscriptella- - Mompha circumscriptella

Durham or Moore County fruit feeder on Oenothera biennis D4294 Mompha maybe 2022 10 - Mompha circumscriptella

Durham or Moore County fruit feeder on Oenothera biennis D4294 Mompha maybe 2022 5 - Mompha circumscriptella

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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 Momphidae (Momphid Moths)

Subfamily Momphinae

Genus Mompha

Species circumscriptella (Mompha circumscriptella - Hodges#1434)

Hodges Number

1434

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Mompha circumscriptella (Zeller, 1873)

Identification

Adult: Small, narrow-winged moth with distinctive FW color pattern. Can be differentiated from similar microleps by the presence of two or more tufts of raised scales on the forewing. The head vestiture is smooth. a

Food

Larva: Internal feeder on evening primroses, (Oenothera), boring into the fruit of its host, with pupation occurring inside the fruit. The infested fruit does not show any externally visible evidence to indicate the presence of the larva. The best strategy for rearing is simply to collect and cage entire clusters of fruits. a

Remarks

Considerable variation in size of adult moths and in FW ground color can occur, depending upon the particular species of Oenothera from which the moth is reared. Genital morphology of all of these variations is identical, so that, on basis of morphology, all appear to represent a single species, with the observed variation being non-genetic and determined by the larval foodplant. a

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group – images of live & pinned adults

BOLD Systems - images of pinned DNA supported specimens

Illustrated Guide to Microlepidoptera - detailed descriptions with images of pinned adults and life cycles

Contributed by A.W. Thomas on 27 January, 2006 - 12:31pm
Additional contributions by Robin McLeod, Robert Lord Zimlich
Last updated 10 March, 2013 - 3:48pm

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