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Species Harrisina metallica - Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer - Hodges#4623

Deep blue.. moth? - Harrisina metallica Harrisina metallica Blue Moth - Harrisina metallica Western grapeleaf skeletonizer on grape leaves - Harrisina metallica moth - Harrisina metallica perched on jujube tree at nightfall - Harrisina metallica Larva, Harrisina metallica? - Harrisina metallica Larva, Harrisina metallica? - Harrisina metallica
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Zygaenoidea (Flannel, Slug Caterpillar, Leaf Skeletonizer Moths and kin)
Family Zygaenidae (Leaf Skeletonizer Moths)
Subfamily Procridinae
Genus Harrisina
Species metallica (Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer - Hodges#4623)
Hodges Number
4623
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Harrisina metallica Stretch, 1885
Harrisina coracina sensu Neumoegen & Dyer, 1894:65
Harrisina brillians Barnes & McDunnough, 1910 - n. syn. Tarmann (1984)
Harrisina elongata Druce, 1896
Harrisina tessacens Dyar, 1912
Size
wingspan 22-30 mm - MPG and Moths of SE AZ
Identification
Adult: body and wings black with bluish or greenish tint; collar dull orange or red as described by Stretch (1885) except in form "brillians" which has black collar.

Larva: later instars broadly striped across blue and yellow with narrower black bands. CAUTION! black hairs of especially late-instar larvae may cause an allergic reaction
Egg: yellowish or white, laid in clusters of 10-100 on undersides of leaves
Range
sw US: (so. CA to c. TX, n. to Wyo.) / n. Mex. - Map (MPG)
Type Locality: NM
Season
mostly: Apr-Sept - MPG
Food
Larvae are a major defoliating pest of grapes - Vitis spp., and also feed on creeper - Parthenocissus spp. (Vitaceae)
Life Cycle
Overwinters as a pupa enclosed in silken cocoon on the ground amongst leaf-litter. Adults emerge and lay eggs on leaves soon after bud-break in spring. Early instars feed gregariously on undersides of leaves which they skeletonize. Later instars spread out and may defoliate entire vineyards. Several generations per year.
Remarks
Larvae are a severe pest in some California vineyards.
See Also
Grapeleaf Skeletonizer (Harrisina americana) - very similar but in e. US and always has an orange collar
Print References
Barnes, W. & J.H. McDunnough, 1910. New Species and Varieties of North American Lepidoptera. Journal of the New York Entomological Society. 18: 163
Halstead, J.A. , 1987. A new host for Brachymeria ovata (Hymenoptera, Chalcididae) - Harrisina brillians (Lepidoptera, Zygaenidae). Entomological News, 98: 51.
Scoble, M.J., 1995. The Lepidoptera: form, function, and diversity. 2nd edition. Oxford Univ. Press.
Stretch, 1885. Descriptions of new species of Heterocera. Entomologica Americana. 1: 102
Tarmann, G., 1984. Generische Revision der amerikanischen Zygaenidae mit Beschreibung neuer Gattungen und Arten (Insecta: Lepidoptera). Teil 1. Entomofauna Supplement, 2(1): 40.
Wagner, D.L., 2005. Caterpillars of Eastern North America. Princeton Univ. Press.
Internet References
Southwestmoths.org - species page with photos of cocoon and pupa