Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Nemapogon acapnopennella (Clemens, 1863)
Tinea acapnopennella Clemens, 1863
Synonym Nemapogon minutipulnella (Dietz, 1905)
Numbers
Nemapogon has 16 described species in America north of Mexico.
(1) Size
5 to 6 mm long. Wingspan about 9 mm.? OR 12 to 14
(1)Identification
Head: Head whitish, long haired (scaled). Face front has brownish spot between antenna bases. Palpi long, folded; white flecked with grayish-brown. Segment 2 dark, scaled on underside.
Antenna: Base (scape) white. Segments yellowish-white, ringed with brown.
Thorax: White flecked with brown. Sides (patagia) brown.
Wings: White, heavily speckled with brown. Costa margin has long dashes of dark brown continuing around entire wing tip. A dark, somewhat scaly patch at mid wing and another curved, small patch nearer wing tip, also central. Small dark patch on inner margin just before fringe (anal angle). Fringe alternate dark and light, speckled with brown. Hind wings dark gray.
Legs: White with brown tips. Feet striped brown and white. Hind shin (tibia) feathered.
Abdomen: Top side grayish-brown, segments have a brown line on each side. Underside yellow-white flecked with some brown.
The description as Tinea acapnopennella Clemens, is available online in the print references below.
Specimen identified by DNA analysis (BOLD)
(2)
Range
British Columbia to Quebec. The United States records are all eastern from Pennsylvania to Florida and Texas, Oklahoma.
(3),
(4)
First Canadian record was in July 2001 from Alberta.
(4)
Moth Photographers Group - large map with some distribution data.
Season
Adults are reported from February to November.
(1) May to August in the north.
Food
Bracket fungus Polyporus tulipiferus found on dead wood of deciduous trees.
Life Cycle
The larva feeds on fungus and when full grown pupate in the decayed wood to which the fungus is attached.
Full grown larva are 5.5 mm. long. Antennae 3-jointed, last segment longer with several fine hairs. Head bears several long, fine hairs. Head dark, segment behind head dark with white line down center. Next 2 (thorax segments) wrinkled. Rest of segments white with 4 rows of long fine hair.
Pupa 6 mm. long. Brownish, spined, last ones hooked.
Remarks
Adults are rarely seen at lights.
(4)
Types:
Holotype as Tinea acapnopennella by Clemens, 1863. #213. Locality: unknown In the U. S. National Museum, Smithsonian.
Syntype as Tinea minutipulvella female Chambers, 1875. #212; MCZ#1390. Locality: Canada. In Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass.
See Also
Compare on the pinned plates of
Moth Photographers Group.
Print References
Clemens, B. 1863. American Micro-Lepidoptera. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Philadelphia. 2:
127.
Pohl, G.R., Bird, C.D., Landry, J.F., Anweiler, G. 2005. New records of Microlepidoptera in Alberta Canada. Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society. 59(2):
64, fig. 17.
(4)Internet References
Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Philadelphia, 1863, Vol. 2, pg. 127 by Clemens.
The Canadian Entomologist, 1875, Vol. 7, pg. 212 by Chambers.
Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 1901-03, Vol. 5, pg. 215: Notes on Brackenridge Clemens’ Types of Tineina by August Busck.
Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 1905, Vol. 31, pp. 63 to 64 by Dietz.
Entomological News, 1920, Vol. 31, pg. 108 by Harry B. Weiss.
Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station 1923, Memoir #68, pg. 129 by Forbes.
Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 1989-92, Vol. 152, pg. 52.
Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society, 2005, Vol. 59, pg. 64 by Pohl et al.
