Moth Photographers Group – Stathmopoda elyella

Digital Guide to Moth Identification

030775 – 1070 – Stathmopoda elyella – Busck, 1909

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Distribution Data for Stathmopoda elyella

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Taxonomic Notes:

Needham published a paper on rearing S. elyella in Florida, with detailed notes on the biology. Citation: Needham, J. G. 1947. A moth that lives on fern spores (Lepidoptera: Heliodinidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 49: 165-166.

In point of fact, I have always had some questions as to whether or not the Florida moth really is the same species as our northern S. elyella (which was decribed from CT, and since has been collected in IL, those being the only two northern-USA localities of which I am aware). For example, Needham's rearing was from a fern that occurs only along the seacoast of the far-southeastern USA, which automatically means that the host plant of our northern populations must be a different fern (none of the northern S. elyella have been reared). At our present state of knowledge, then, the FL moth (as seen in Lyn Atherton's photos) would have to be called S. elyella. ~ Terry Harrison

References

Moth Photographers Group at the Mississippi Entomological Museum at the Mississippi State University

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