Species Olceclostera angelica - The Angel - Hodges#7665

7665

Olceclostera angelica (Grote, 1864) (1)

Parathyris angelica Grote, 1864

Phylogenetic sequence # 223150

Specific epithet means angelic (Latin) - perhaps a reference to the silvery-gray forewings with scalloped outer margins, reminiscent of an angel's wings

uncommon

wingspan 32-42 mm; female larger

Adult: forewing silvery-gray with brown lines and shading; forewing and hindwing outer margins scalloped; note two translucent spots near apex; legs furry; abdomen looks as though dipped in glitter paint

Larva: top of head black, bordered in front and behind by long white hairs (giving a bearded and hooded appearance); body light silvery-brown with 3 dorsal black-edged white lines and long white lateral hairs, especially near rear; a pair of black-rimmed white spots on dorsal surface of each abdominal segment

Quebec and Maine to Florida, west to Texas, north to Wisconsin and Ontario. (2), (3)

Deciduous forests

adults fly from May to September

larvae feed on leaves of ash (Fraxinus) and lilac (Syringa)

John Himmelman (4) says that the adult mimics a ragged leaf, and that the scaleless, transparent spots on the wings help with that illusion.

This species appears on the Florida Lepidoptera list but is treated as a synonym of O. indistincta and assigned the same Hodges number [7666] as that species. I could find no other Internet source suggesting that O. angelica is a synonym of O. indistincta.

In Texas and Arizona, The Seraph (Olceclostera seraphica) has a more irregular PM line that curves inward below reniform spot

In peninsular Florida, Indistinct Angel (O. indistincta) is smaller with less sharply-scalloped outer margins and less distinct markings

[adapted from description by Charles Covell (5)]

some Macaria species (Geometridae) have a similar forewing pattern

Covell, p. 56, plate 8 #18 (5)

Himmelman, p. 69--description (4)

Moth Photographers Group

live adult images and food plants (Larry Line, Maryland)

pinned adult image (CBIF)

pinned adult image (Insects of Cedar Creek, Minnesota)

common name reference plus food plants and flight season (Ohio State U.)

pinned adult images of male and female (James Adams, Dalton State College, Georgia)

live larva image (Dave Wagner)

distribution in Canada list of provinces (CBIF)

Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Philadelphia, v.2, p.322    Grote's original description of the species.