Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Tinea lacteella Fabricius, 1794
Zebronia?? abronalis Walker, 1859
Pyralis albana Fabricius, 1798, Unnecessary replacement name.
Catharylla lusella Zeller, 1863
Argyria vestalis Butler, 1878
Argyria multifacta Dyar, 1914
Explanation of Names
LACTEELLA: from the Latin "lac, lactis" (milk); probably refers to the white color of the forewing
Argyria lacteella (Fabricius, 1794) in the US is restricted to Florida and includes as synonyms lusella Zeller, 1863, vestalis Butler, 1878 and multifacta Dyar, 1914 in Landry et al. (2023).
Identification
Adult: forewing white with orange fringe; medial line faint, consisting mainly of a small dark spot at costa and at inner margin, plus a third dark spot halfway between these two; a fourth dark spot usually present where PM line meets costa; hindwing white, translucent, unmarked; face white; top of head orange or yellow
Range
USA: FL.
Type locality (lacteella): "Americae meridionalis arboretis".
Lectotype (lacteella): “Americae insulis” [USA Virgin Island of Saint Croix; see Landry et al. (2023)].
Type locality (pusillalis, syn.): "Baltimora [Baltimore, MD]".
Type locality (abronalis): Brazil, Rio de Janeiro.
Type locality (lusella): St. Thomas Island [USA Virgin Islands].
Type locality (vestalis): Jamaica.
Type locality (multifacta): Panama, Porto Bello.
Food
Reported on Phaseolus lunatus (Fabaceae)
See Also
Snowy Urola (
Urola nivalis) is very similar but lacks dark spots on forewing
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Argyria nummulalis forewing has orange strip extending along inner margin, and lacks dark spots.
Print References
Fabricius, J.C., 1794. Entomologica systematica emendata et aucta. Secundum classes, ordines, genera, species adiectis synonymis, locis, observationibus, descriptionibus. C.G. Proft et C.F. Mohr, Hafniae et Kiliae, 3(2):
313.
Martinez, E. L. and R. L. Brown 2007. Argyriini (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) of Mississippi and Alabama with a redescription of Argyria rufisignella (Zeller). p. 78.
(1)Internet References
Moth Photographers Group - range map, photos of living and pinned adults.
presence in Florida; list (John Heppner, Florida State Collection of Arthropods)