Species Proteoteras crescentana - Black-crescent Proteoteras - Hodges#3233

3233

Proteoteras crescentana Kearfott, 1907 (1)

Phylogenetic sequence #621136

Specific epithet crescentana for the "very strong, well defined black crescent" on the forewings. (1)

There are eight species of the genus listed for America north of Mexico. (2)

Heinrich (1923) listed the wingspan 16-19 mm. (3)

Adult: forewing light to medium brown with conspicuous blackish crescent-shaped marking that begins midway along costa and terminates at apex; marking is very heavy from costa inward to middle of wing, then bends smoothly toward outer margin and becomes thinner as it runs in a fairly straight line to the apex; dark gray shading in upper basal area separated from crescent-shaped marking by pale oblique area along costa; area along inner margin often paler and with diffuse yellowish shading; short oblique streaks along distal half of costa [typical of many species of Tortricidae] are reduced or absent in P. crescentana; hindwing grayish-brown with darker veins.

Specimen identified by DNA analysis (BOLD). (4)

Ontario and northeastern states south to at least Maryland, west to Texas(5) and Colorado(6), north to Alberta.

Holotype from Plummer Island, Maryland. (3)

Beadle & Leckie (2012) listed for the N.E. (7)

Described material: Iowa (Gillette); west Manitoba; Kansas; Cincinnati, OH (Miss Braun, June 17th); Plummer's Island, MD (A. Busck, June); Elk Grove, IL (McElhose(8), June 25th).

Woodlands, parks, suburban areas containing Boxelder; adults are nocturnal and attracted to light.

The main flight period is April to July.

Heinrich (1923) reported the larvae feed on Acer negundo (box elder). (3)

Proteoteras moffatiana forewing is usually greenish in live individuals, and has an irregular crescent-shaped marking that terminates in a dark blob before reaching the apex.

P. aesculana and P. obnigrana forewings also have irregular crescent-shaped markings that are usually broken and terminate in a blob before reaching the apex

Gilligan, Wright & Gibson, 2008. Olethreutine Moths of the Midwestern United States. Ohio Biological Survey, p. 136.212. (9)

Heinrich, C. 1923. Revision of the North American moths of the subfamily Eucosminae of the family Olethreutidae. United States National Museum Bulletin, 123. p. 167. (3)

Kearfott, W.D. 1907. New North American Tortricidae. Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 33(1). p. 49. (1)

Moth Photographers Group (2)

The Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) (4)

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum (10)