Explanation of Names
Alucitidae is from the type genus
Alucita, Latin meaning "gnat."
(1)Identification
Adult: wings consist of unusual and diagnostic feather-like plumes (rigid spines from which radiate flexible bristles), normally spread apart like a fan when the moth is at rest; there are six plumes per wing, for a total of twenty-four
Larva: body pink, hides inside flowers of host plant, and pupates in a delicate fish-net cocoon
[Jeremy Tatum, Butterflies and Moths of Vancouver Island]
Range
Quebec and northeastern states to Florida, west to California, north to British Columbia and Northwest Territories [see genus page for distribution of the 3 North American species]
also represented in Europe and several regions of the world
Habitat
adults fly early in the evening or any time on cloudy days, and may sometimes be found in homes fluttering at windows
Season
adults fly in spring and again in late summer/fall
Food
larvae are borers in fruits, flowers, buds, or stems of host plant
larvae feed on honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.) and snowberry (Symphoricarpos spp.), both of which are in the family Caprifoliaceae
Remarks
Two new species were described by Bernard and Jean-François Landry in 2004, bringing the North American species total to three, none of which is Alucita hexadactyla (see Internet References section below).
Print References
Landry, B. & J. Landry. 2004. The genus
Alucita in North America, with description of two new species (Lepidoptera: Alucitidae). The Canadian Entomologist. 136: 553-579.
(2)Internet References
adult image of "
A. hexadactyla" from Colorado (Larry Line, Mostly Moths of Maryland)
presence in Ontario; list of "
A. hexadactyla" (NHIC; Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources)
presence in Florida; list of "
A. hexadactyla" (Michael Thomas, Florida State Collection of Arthropods)
presence in California; list of "
A. hexadactyla" (U. of California at Berkeley)
