Herpetogramma sphingealis
Encyclopedia
Herpetogramma sphingealis is a species of moth
of the family Crambidae
.
southward in eastern United States
to Georgia
and Louisiana
and as far west as Arkansas
.
is 34-37 mm for males and 31-34 mm for females. Adults are sexually dimorphic. Males are nearly uniform dark-brown. The hindwings are dark brown with a dark discal spot. Females have more apically-squared wings and are less uniformly dark coloured.
woods. The moth comes readily to light and flies at the beginning of the night. It is sometimes one of the first to come to light. Its flight is darting and rapid. The underside of the head, thorax and abdomen, including the legs, are pure white, so it is easily spotted when flying to the light. The moth is cryptically-coloured and well-adapted to hide in the darkest shadows of the woods.
and might also feed on other species of ferns. They roll the leaves of their host plant.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the family Crambidae
Crambidae
The Crambidae are the grass moth family of Lepidoptera . They are quite variable in appearance, the nominal subfamily Crambinae taking up closely folded postures on grass-stems where they are inconspicuous, while other subfamilies include brightly coloured and patterned insects which rest in...
.
Range
It is found from southern QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
southward in eastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and as far west as Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
.
Description
The wingspanWingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 34-37 mm for males and 31-34 mm for females. Adults are sexually dimorphic. Males are nearly uniform dark-brown. The hindwings are dark brown with a dark discal spot. Females have more apically-squared wings and are less uniformly dark coloured.
Habitat
It occurs in the darkest areas of rich xeric forests, with maples and oaks, especially rocky, hilly, maple groves where Christmas fern occurs commonly. Its dark-brown colour is well suited for hiding in thesewoods. The moth comes readily to light and flies at the beginning of the night. It is sometimes one of the first to come to light. Its flight is darting and rapid. The underside of the head, thorax and abdomen, including the legs, are pure white, so it is easily spotted when flying to the light. The moth is cryptically-coloured and well-adapted to hide in the darkest shadows of the woods.
Biology
The larvae have been recorded feeding on Polystichum acrostichoidesPolystichum acrostichoides
Polystichum acrostichoides is an evergreen fern native to eastern North America from Nova Scotia west to Minnesota and south to Florida and eastern Texas...
and might also feed on other species of ferns. They roll the leaves of their host plant.