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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Owlet Moths and kin (Noctuoidea) » Prominent Moths (Notodontidae) » Dioptinae » Phryganidia » California Oak Moth - Hodges#8031 (Phryganidia californica)

Species Phryganidia californica - California Oak Moth - Hodges#8031

Classification · Hodges Number · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Internet References · Works Cited
Moth pupa - Phryganidia californica California oak moth (Phryganidia californica) pupa (1 of 4) - Phryganidia californica California oak moth (Phryganidia californica) pupae (3 of 4) - Phryganidia californica Caterpillar? - Phryganidia californica California Oak Moth Caterpillar - Phryganidia californica i thought i knew this one but i was way off base.. - Phryganidia californica an amazing oak moth infestation - Phryganidia californica Lepidopteran pupa - Phryganidia californica
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 Noctuoidea (Owlet Moths and kin)
Family Notodontidae (Prominent Moths)
Subfamily Dioptinae
Genus Phryganidia
Species californica (California Oak Moth - Hodges#8031)
Hodges Number
8031
Other Common Names
California Oakworm (larva)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Phryganidia californica Packard, 1864
Phylogenetic sequence # 930138
Size
Wingspan about 30 mm
Larva to about 25 mm
Identification
Adult: forewing translucent grayish-brown with prominent dark veins bordered by dull yellowish scales; hindwing light gray with dark veins; male antennae pectinate (feathery); female antennae simple
Larva: body with two middorsal white stripes bordered in purple; yellow subdorsal and spiracular stripes separated by grayish-purple stripe, bordered in black; transverse black band on T1, A1, and A8; middorsal black spot on A5; head large, tan with faint tint of orange.
[Adaped from description by Jeffrey Miller]
Range
Coastal California and Oregon
Habitat
Oak woodlands
Season
Adult moths can be found from March through November. (1)
Larvae present from fall through spring.
Food
Caterpillars feed on leaves of oak, especially California Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia).
Life Cycle
Two generations per year in northern California; sometimes a third generation in southern California. Overwinters as a larva on underside of oak leaf. Populations are cyclic: larvae are common in some years, and virtually absent in others.
Remarks
Many online publications for this species concerning control, etc., @ biodiversitylibrary.org.
Internet References
Moth Photographers Group (1)
Pacific Northwest Moths (2)
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) (3)
Butterflies and Moths of North America pinned adult image by Paul Opler, plus distribution map (Montana State University)
Caterpillars of Pacific Northwest Forests and Woodlands live larva image by Jeffrey Miller, plus description, foodplants, seasonality (USGS)
24 specimen records in California, plus locations and dates (U. of California at Berkeley)
California Oakworm management guidelines species account plus links to photos of eggs and larvae (U. of California at Davis)
Works Cited
1.North American Moth Photographers Group
2.Pacific Northwest Moths
3.BOLD: The Barcode of Life Data Systems
Contributed by Joyce Gross on 15 October, 2006 - 6:27pm
Additional contributions by Robin McLeod, Maury Heiman, Aaron Schusteff
Last updated 6 October, 2013 - 8:57pm

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