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Species Acrolophus variabilis - Hodges#0385

Patient Moth - Acrolophus variabilis Patient Moth - Acrolophus variabilis Moth - Acrolophus variabilis Acrolophus variabilis Acrolophus variabilis Moth, dorsal - Acrolophus variabilis Moth, spread specimen, dorsal - Acrolophus variabilis Acrolophus variabilis
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 Tineoidea (Tubeworm, Bagworm, and Clothes Moths)
Family Tineidae (Clothes Moths)
Subfamily Acrolophinae (Burrowing Webworm Moths)
Genus Acrolophus (Tubeworm Moths)
Species variabilis (Acrolophus variabilis - Hodges#0385)
Hodges Number
0385
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Acrolophus variabilis (Walsingham, 1887)
Ortholophus variabilis Walsingham, 1887 (1)
Phylogenetic sequence #300095
Explanation of Names
Specific epithet means "variable." Walsingham described three varieties of this moth in the original description. (1)
Size
Powell & Opler (2009) reported the forewing length 10-16 mm. (2)
Identification
Adult. (2)
Variable color and pattern.
Brown hindwing with lavender fringe.
♂ antennae are serrate.

"Peter Jump reports that you can't separate Acrolophus variabilis [0385] from A. macrophallus [0363] without looking at the genitalia (although in some cases the forewing length can distinguish the species).
Variabilis forewing length male 9-14 mm: female 12-16 mm.
Macrophallus forewing length male 9-10 mm: female 10-12 mm."

Range
Central and southern California, to Texas and western Kansas. (4), (5), (2)
Season
Adults are most common from May to October. (3)
Print References
Powell, J.A. & P.A. Opler 2009. Moths of Western North America. University of California Press, plate 2, fig. 44; p. 51. (2)
Walsingham, L. 1887. IX. A revision of the genera Acrolophus, Poey, and Anaphora, Clem. Transactions of the Entomological Society of London. 169. (1)