Elachistidae

Pohl, Greg, Anweiler, Gary, Schmidt, Christian & Kondla, Norbert, 2010, An annotated list of the Lepidoptera of Alberta, Canada, ZooKeys 38 (38), pp. 1-549 : 66-70

24. Elachistidae – concealer moths

A diverse assemblage of groups previously given status as a number of separate families or assigned to other families. They are united on the basis of abdominal and pupal structures (Hodges 1999a). Approximately 1200 species of Elachistidae are known worldwide; 309 species have been reported from North America, 56 of which are reported from AB.

24.1. Ethmiinae

Small (20–30 mm wingspan) moths with long, broadly rounded wings, the forewings often strikingly marked with black spots on a white and/or gray background. Adults of many species are diurnal. At rest, they hold their wings closed and rolled tightly over the abdomen. Larvae of most species are external feeders on Boraginaceae or Hydrophyllaceae . Most are host-specific at the genus level.

The subfamily Ethmiinae contains approximately 250 species worldwide, concentrated in the Neotropics and southwestern North America. Fifty-five species are known in North America; three of these are reported from AB. Th is group has been given family status in the past, but its position within the Elachistidae is now widely accepted. They are a well known group in North America. Th ey were revised for the New World by Powell (1973), with two new species described since, from FL.

127 * R Pyramidobela quinquecristata (Braun, 1921) Aug M – – T: Powell (1973) L: None C: UASM

128 * R Ethmia monticola (Walsingham, 1880) Jun – Jul M – G T: Powell (1973) L: Bowman (1951), Powell (1973) C: CNC, NFRC, PMAE, UASM

129 * R Ethmia albicostella (Beutenmüller, 1889) Jun – Jul M – g T: Powell (1973) L: Powell (1973) C: CNC, NFRC

24.2. Depressariinae

Small (15–30 mm wingspan) moths with broad, rounded wings. Adults rest with the wings closed and held flat over the abdomen. Diapause is in the adult stage in most species; adults of most species fly very late in the fall and again early in the spring. Larvae are leaftiers, seed feeders, and stem borers in dicots.

Approximately 600 species of Depressariinae are known worldwide. Ninety-seven species are known from North America; 29 of these are reported from AB. The Depressariinae are fairly well known in North America. Th e group was revised by Clarke (1941) and Hodges (1974). The latter added several new species but included few genitalia illustrations; both works are required to make reliable determinations. In both works, the Depressariinae were considered a subfamily of the Oecophoridae . More recently, they were given the status of family, but Hodges (1999a) placed them within the Elachistidae , an arrangement we follow here.

130 R Agonopterix gelidella (Busck, 1908) Jul – Aug M B – T: Hodges (1974) L: Bowman (1951), Prentice (1965),? Hodges (1974), Pohl et al. (2004b) C: CNC, NFRC, OLDS, UASM

131 R Agonopterix lythrella (Walsingham, 1889) L Jun – E Aug – B – T: Hodges (1974) L: None C: NFRC, UASM

132 R Agonopterix fusciterminella Clarke, 1941 L Apr – L May M b – T: Hodges (1974) L: None C: NFRC, UASM

133 * R Agonopterix chrautis Hodges, 1974 L Jul m – – T: Hodges (1974) L: Hodges (1974) C: Unknown

133.1 * P Agonopterix sabulella (Walsingham, 1881) L Sep – B – T: Hodges (1974)

134 R Agonopterix rosaciliella (Busck, 1904) E May – E Jun; – B g T: Hodges (1974) L Jul – Oct (H) L: Bowman (1951),? Hodges (1974) C: UASM

135 * R Agonopterix canadensis (Busck, 1902) Apr – Jun; m b G T: Hodges (1974) Sep – Oct (H) L: Bowman (1951),? Prentice (1965) C: CNC, UASM

136 * R Agonopterix arnicella (Walsingham, 1881) L Jul M – g T: Hodges (1974) L: None C: CNC

137 * U Agonopterix flavicomella (Engel, 1907) Jul – Sep m b – T: Hodges (1974) L: Bowman (1951) C:?OLDS,?UASM

138 R Agonopterix argillacea (Walsingham, 1881) Apr – May; m B – T: Hodges (1974) Sep – Oct (H) L: Bowman (1951), Prentice (1965),? Hodges (1974) C: CNC, NFRC, OLDS, UASM

139 * R Agonopterix posticella (Walsingham, 1881) Sep – – G T: Hodges (1974) L: None C: NFRC

140 R Depressariodes canella (Busck, 1904) Jun – Jul M – g T: Hodges (1974) L: Bowman (1951),? Hodges (1974) C: CNC, NFRC

141 R Depressariodes nivalis (Braun, 1921) Jul – Aug M – – T: Hodges (1974) L: Bowman (1951), Hodges (1974) C: NFRC, OLDS, UASM

142 * R Depressariodes hildaella ( Clarke, 1941) E Jul M – – T: Hodges (1974) L: Hodges (1974) C: Unknown

143 R Depressariodes ciniflonella (Lienig and Zeller, 1846) Apr – L May; M B g T: Hodges (1974) Sep – Oct (H) L: Bowman (1951),? Hodges (1974), Pohl et al. (2004b) C: CNC, NFRC, UASM

144 R Depressariodes fulva (Walsingham, 1882) Jul – Aug – B G T: Hodges (1974) L: Bowman (1951),? Hodges (1974) C: NFRC, UASM

145 R Bibarrambla allenella (Walsingham, 1882) Jun – Jul m B – T: Hodges (1974) L: Bowman (1951), Prentice (1965), Pohl et al.

(2004b) C: CNC, NFRC, OLDS, UASM

146 R Semioscopis packardella (Clemens, 1863) Apr – E Jun – B g T: Hodges (1974)

L: Bowman (1951) C: CNC, NFRC, OLDS, UASM

147 R Semioscopis merriccella Dyar, 1902 E May – M May – B g T: Hodges (1974)

L:? Hodges (1974), Pohl et al. (2005) C: NFRC,

UASM

148 R Semioscopis inornata Walsingham, 1882 Apr – Jun m B g T: Hodges (1974)

L: Bowman (1951), Prentice (1965), Hodges (1974),

Pohl et al. (2004b) C: CNC, NFRC,?OLDS, UASM

149 R Semioscopis megamicrella Dyar, 1902 Apr – May – B g T: Hodges (1974)

L: Bowman (1951), Hodges (1974) C: NFRC,?OLDS

150 R Semioscopis aurorella Dyar, 1902 Apr – May – B g T: Hodges (1974)

L: Bowman (1951), Hodges (1974) C: NFRC, UASM

151 R Depressaria atrostrigella Clarke, 1941 Sep – b g T: Hodges (1974)

L: Pohl et al. (2005) C: NFRC, UASM

152 * R H Depressaria artemisiae Nickerl, 1864 L Aug – b G T: Hodges (1974)

L:? Hodges (1974) C: UASM

153 * R I Depressaria pastinacella (Duponchel, 1838) Apr – May; – B g Parsnip Webworm Sep – Oct (H)

T: Hodges (1974)

L:? Hodges (1974) C: NFRC, OLDS, PMAE

154 * R Depressaria eleanorae Clarke, 1941 Apr – May; M B – T: Hodges (1974) Aug (H)

L: None C:?UASM

155 R Depressaria alienella Busck, 1904 Aug – Sep – B g T: Hodges (1974)

L: Bowman (1951),? Hodges (1974) C: CNC,

NFRC, UASM

156 * R Depressaria leptotaeniae Clarke, 1933 Jul M – – T: Hodges (1974)

L: Bowman (1951), Hodges (1974) C: CNC

157 R Nites grotella (Robinson, 1869) Aug – Sep – b g Hazel Leaftier

T: Hodges (1974)

L: Bowman (1951) C: NFRC, UASM

157.1 * P Nites atrocapitella (McDunnough, 1944) Aug – B – T: McDunnough (1944a), Hodges (1974)

158 R Nites betulella (Busck, 1902) Aug m B – Black-dotted Birch Leaftier T: Hodges (1974) L: Bowman (1951), Prentice (1965),? Hodges (1974), Pohl et al. (2004b) C: CNC, NFRC, UASM

24.3. Elachistinae – grass miner moths

Minute (6–14 mm wingspan) moths with narrow lanceolate wings. Most species have white forewings with tiny black dots, or black wings boldly marked with white spots. The hindwings have straight sides, a sharp point, and a wide fringe on the trailing margin. Adults of most species are diurnal. Larvae of most species are miners in monocots. Approximately 250 species of Elachistinae are known worldwide. Species richness is particularly notable in southern Europe and North America. One hundred species are known from North America, mostly in the genus Elachista . Twenty-one species are known from AB; many more probably remain to be discovered in this poorly collected group. Th e North American species have been revised recently by Kaila (1995a, 1995b, 1996, 1997, 1999a, 1999b).