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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Ribbed Cocoon-maker and Leaf Blotch Miner Moths (Gracillarioidea) » Leaf Blotch Miner Moths (Gracillariidae) » Acrocercopinae
Photo#867343
Striped micromoth
Copyright © 2013 Timothy Reichard

Striped micromoth
Odenton, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, USA
August 22, 2013
Micromoth attracted to balcony light. I think the closest match in my Peterson guide is Willow Leaf Blotch Miner - Micrurapteryx salicifoliella. That guide lists these field marks:

- Forewing is dark brown with broad white inner margin edge.
- Costa has white streaks.
- Head and thorax white.

Am I close?

Images of this individual: tag all
Striped micromoth Striped micromoth
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Contributed by Timothy Reichard on 18 November, 2013 - 11:13pm
Last updated 21 October, 2016 - 9:13pm

.
I replaced the photos with reprocessed versions of them. Same moth, same two views, but better detail.

Leucospilapteryx venustella does look quite close. Is this genus known well enough to ID its members to species?
… Timothy Reichard, 21 October, 2016 - 9:23pm login or register to post comments

 
Leucospilapteryx
L. venustella is the only described species in the genus. The problem is that it isn't always straightforward to distinguish it from Acrocercops astericola. None of the A. astericola specimens I have reared have had a white basal margin as your moth does (see guide page), but maybe Terry has seen specimens with that feature. Apparently L. venustella is normally darker than this. There is also this similar moth that belongs to an undescribed genus, which I have likewise only reared once:
… Charley Eiseman, 21 October, 2016 - 9:49pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Acrocercops.

I'm wondering if Leucospilapteryx might be a better fit?
… Charley Eiseman, 17 October, 2016 - 6:27pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Moths.
… Charley Eiseman, 7 March, 2014 - 10:50am login or register to post comments

-
I checked MPG and think you're in the right family, but although I couldn't find an exact match, some of the moths in Leucospilapteryx and Acrocercops look closer, at least to my eye.
… John Schneider, 22 December, 2013 - 4:48pm login or register to post comments

 
I agree
This is an Acrocercops. The ground color of M. salicifoliella looks black, instead of brown as in this moth.
… Terry Harrison, 6 March, 2014 - 9:56pm login or register to post comments

 
Acrocercops
Of the Acrocercops species with photos here in BG and over in MPG, Acrocercops astericola's looks like the best match. The wing and leg patterns match. I wonder if any of the unphotographed species in the genus also look so similar.
… Timothy Reichard, 6 March, 2014 - 11:09pm login or register to post comments

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