Orange headed micromoth - Doleromorpha

Moved

Moved from Moths.

… A. Hendrickson, 12 December, 2014 - 11:08am

Any other shots?

Do you have any other shots and can you lighten this image up a bit?

I think this is 0276 – Doleromorpha porphyria. The wings do appear tent like and not pointed but the angle and poor lightening may be making it seem otherwise.

… Steve Nanz, 21 September, 2014 - 2:23pm

Moved

Moved from ID Request.

… v belov, 22 October, 2010 - 9:01am

A quick internet search brings up a few possibilities

The possibilities that I found include Tineids in the genera Doleromorpha &
Monopis and the Micropterigid Epimartyria auricrinella--though I couldn't find whether the latter one occurs in NJ/PA.

Incidentally, if you found it in the Southeast then I would have also proposed Ceratophaga vicinella, the Gopher Tortoise Moth. This moth has a very peculiar larval diet: the shells of dead gopher tortoises. See here for more information

… Peter Edelman, 25 September, 2010 - 9:48pm

Wing Shape

The pointed wings and the way this moth holds its wings flat rather than angled like a "tent" over the body make it unlikely that this is a Tineid. Epimartyria auricrinella is found in the northeast, but it has a very different shape than this. Something in Cosmopterigidae seems possible, although I don't know of any with this pattern...

… Paul Dennehy, 22 December, 2011 - 10:42am

Thanks

They seem a little to pale to be this one but that might just be my picture. I am just wondering, how come so many micromoths have a orange head and (mostly) dark brown/ black body???

… Sean McVey, 26 September, 2010 - 8:05am

I honestly don't know

Maybe one of the Lepidoptera experts could explain. The Remarks under the description of the Golden-Backed Snipe Fly (which is similarly-colored except for having a gold patch instead of an orange one) mention that it might be a form of wasp mimicry.

The black-body-plus-red/orange/gold-behind-head pattern isn't limited to moths & flies. Check out these beetles--all of which are unrelated, insofar as being in different superfamilies:

… Peter Edelman, 26 September, 2010 - 5:46pm