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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Flannel, Slug Caterpillar, Leaf Skeletonizer Moths and kin (Zygaenoidea) » Leaf Skeletonizer Moths (Zygaenidae) » Procridinae » Harrisina » Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer - Hodges#4623 (Harrisina metallica)

Species Harrisina metallica - Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer - Hodges#4623

Classification · Hodges Number · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Identification · Range · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · See Also · Print References · Internet References

Western Grape Leaf Skeletonizer - Harrisina metallica - male

perched on jujube tree at nightfall - Harrisina metallica

Harrisina metallica ovipositing - Harrisina metallica - female

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

Moth Photographers Group - MPG

Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer - UC IPM Online

Southwestmoths.org - species page with photos of cocoon and pupa

Contributed by Hannah Nendick-Mason on 10 August, 2004 - 7:34pm
Additional contributions by Steve Nanz, Robin McLeod, Mike Quinn, Randy Hardy
Last updated 29 June, 2019 - 5:36am

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