freyerella species group

Formerly a separate genus, Cosmiotes Clemens.

Eight species in North America

For now, all images apparently belonging to this group from the eastern US have been tentatively assigned to the widespread and common illectella. Images from Canada and the western US have been placed to species group. Below, the known ranges of the other seven described members of the group found in the Nearctic are provided.(1)

E. beorella — CAN: NL

E. freyerella — CAN: AB, MB, NT, NB, NS, ON, QC; US: MI; also Europe

E. galadella — US: WA

E. herbigrada — CAN: AB; US: CO, UT, WY

E. neithanella — CAN: AB, SK

E. rianella — US: AZ, CO

E. tuorella — CAN: AB; US: ID

The species of this group are very similar all over the world and are notoriously difficult to identify, sometimes even with dissection. E. illectella appears to be the commonest of them in eastern North America, according to Terry Harrison.

Kaila, Lauri. 1999. A revision of the Nearctic species of the genus Elachista s. l. III. The bifasciella, praelineata, saccharella and freyerella groups (Lepidoptera, Elachistidae). Acta Zoologica Fennica 211:1-235.

Kaila, Lauri. 2011. Elachistine Moths of Australia: (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Elachistidae). Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Volume 11. (Google Books)