PALMERWORM MOTH

PALMERWORM MOTH

Dichomeris ligulella
TWIRLER MOTH FAMILY (Gelechiidae)

Click on each photo thumbnail to enlarge.

The Palmerworm Moth shown here was about 1/2 inch in length. The forewing is light brown heavily sprinkled with darker brown spots and is long and narrowly rounded at the apex. The hindwing is usually trapezoidal in shape. The labial palps are curved over the head and look like small horns. The filiform antennae are very long and the individual shown here was continuously waving them around. The eyes are red. These moths are sexually dimorphic. The female is shown in photos A and B. Males are dark gray with cream-colored streaks along the costa. Caterpillars are brown and tan and hairless. The head is light brown and shiny.

 

The frequency of occurrence at Fontenelle Forest and Neale Woods is not known. It has been photographed once in Fontenelle Forest in late April 2012. The species overwinters as an adult and lays eggs in the spring.

 

The larval hosts include apple, basswood, cherry, hackberry and oak. The larvae skeletonize the leaves. There are 886 species of Twirler Moths in 92 genera in North America.

 

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