Hellinsia paleaceus

Hellinsia paleaceus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Pterophoridae
Genus:	Hellinsia
Species:	H. paleaceus
Binomial name
Hellinsia paleaceus (Zeller, 1873)[1]
Synonyms
Leioptilus paleaceus Zeller, 1873 Oidaematophorus paleaceus Leioptilus sericidactylus Murtfeldt, 1880

Hellinsia paleaceus is a moth of the Pterophoridae family that is found in North America, including Florida, Mississippi^[2] Maryland, Montana,^[3] Texas, California, Nebraska, New Mexico and south-eastern Canada. It has also been recorded from Puerto Rico.

The wingspan is 19–26 millimetres (0.75–1.02 in). Adults have been recorded from March to September.^[4]

The larvae feed on Vernonia gigantea, Vernonia missurica, Vernonia noveboracensis,^[5] Vernonia angustifolia, Vernonia blodgettii and Vernonia cinerea (Cyanthillium cinereum).^[6] They feed on the young foliage of their host plant. Young larvae are dingy white, with a tinge of green. Later instars become pale glaucous, often varying, especially in the late fall brood, to dull salmon. Pupation takes place in a pupa with quite variable colour and markings. In the spring brood, it is commonly dull green, with indistinct yellow lateral stripes. In the fall brood, the dorsum is pale yellow or flesh color, with two fine indistinct mediodorsal lines of lilac color. The pupa is quite active and irritable, striking about in all directions when meddled with.

References

1. Moth Photographers Group
2. Mississippi Plume Moths From The Bryant Mather Collection (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae)
3. Bug Guide
4. Contributions to the natural history of the Lepidoptera of North America
5. Annotated Checklist of the Pterophoridae (Lepidoptera) of Florida
6. Neotropical species of the family Pterophoridae, part II. Zool. Med. Leiden 85 (2011)