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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Twirler Moths and kin (Gelechioidea) » Twirler Moths (Gelechiidae) » Gelechiinae » Litini » Pseudotelphusa

Genus Pseudotelphusa

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Print References · Internet References

possible 1874 Pseudotelphusa quercinigracella - Pseudotelphusa quercinigracella

Pseudotelphusa quercinigracella - Pseudotelphusa quercinigracella

Pseudotelphusa - Pseudotelphusa quercinigracella

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 Gelechioidea (Twirler Moths and kin)

Family Gelechiidae (Twirler Moths)

Subfamily Gelechiinae

Tribe Litini

Genus Pseudotelphusa

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

formerly in tribe Gelechiini

Numbers

8 species in North America listed at All-Leps

Size

wingspan presumably 10-15 mm, based on photos of European species and larva length

mature larva length < 10 mm

Identification

Adult: forewing slender, white to brown with scattered black patches; hindwing whitish basally, shading to brown or gray distally, with very wide brown or gray fringe

Range

eastern United States and southeastern Canada

also represented in Eurasia

Habitat

deciduous woodlands

Season

adults fly in late spring and summer

larvae in June and July

Food

larvae feed on leaves of oak, and perhaps birch and serviceberry, judging from the specific epithets of two species: amelanchierella (Amelanchier=serviceberry) and betulella (Betula=birch)

Life Cycle

an undescribed species in Missouri lays eggs in spring on leaves of oak as soon as the leaves have fully opened; larvae tie two overlapping leaves together with spun silk, creating a shelter within which they feed, skeletonizing the inner surface of the tied leaves; larvae mature in about 2 weeks, then drop to the ground to pupate

Remarks

By creating leaf-tie shelters early in the season, and then vacating them shortly afterward, larvae of an undescribed Pseudotelphusa species in Missouri make shelters available to various other insects, increasing the diversity of leaf-eating insects on oak trees during the summer (see PDF article in Print References below).

Print References

Lill, John T. and Robert J. Marquis. 2003. Ecosystem Engineering by Caterpillars Increases Insect Herbivore Diversity on White Oak. Ecology. 84(3): 682-690. - available online in PDF format

Internet References

pinned adult images of 5 species plus photos of related genera by SangMi Lee (Moth Photographers Group)

9 pinned adult images of P. quercinigracella, plus collection site map (All-Leps)

pinned adult image of P. basifasciella by SangMi Lee (Mississippi Entomological Museum, Mississippi State U.)

distribution in United States (Dalton State College, Georgia)

presence in Ontario of P. palliderosacella and P. quercinigracella (NHIC; Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources)

Contributed by Robin McLeod on 11 December, 2006 - 8:52pm
Additional contributions by Randy Hardy
Last updated 8 June, 2011 - 11:44pm

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