Exelastis rhynchosiae
Encyclopedia
Exelastis rhynchosiae is a species of moth
in the genus Exelastis
, known from Arkansas
and Florida
. It is restricted to specific habitats with dry or well drained sandy soils such as pine flatwoods, pine-turkey oak sandhills, sandy open areas of high live oak hammocks, or sand pine-evergreen scrub on ancient dunes where the hostplants grow.
Adults are on wing from April to November, and have a wingspan of 12-18 millimetres. The forewings are grayish yellow with scattered pale yellow scales and the hindwings are uniformly dark gray brown with medium gray brown fringes and dark tufts.
The larvae feed on Rhynchosia cinerea and possibly Rhynchosia latifolia. They mainly feed on leaf shoots, buds, flowers, and immature seedpods, but mature leaves are occasionally skeletonized when tender growth is not available. Final instar larvae are about 10 mm long and light green to yellowish green.
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...
in the genus Exelastis
Exelastis
Exelastis is a genus of moth in the Pterophoridae family.-Species:*Exelastis atomosa *Exelastis bergeri Bigot, 1969*Exelastis boireaui Bigot, 1992*Exelastis caroli Gielis, 2008...
, known from 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...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. It is restricted to specific habitats with dry or well drained sandy soils such as pine flatwoods, pine-turkey oak sandhills, sandy open areas of high live oak hammocks, or sand pine-evergreen scrub on ancient dunes where the hostplants grow.
Adults are on wing from April to November, and have a wingspan of 12-18 millimetres. The forewings are grayish yellow with scattered pale yellow scales and the hindwings are uniformly dark gray brown with medium gray brown fringes and dark tufts.
The larvae feed on Rhynchosia cinerea and possibly Rhynchosia latifolia. They mainly feed on leaf shoots, buds, flowers, and immature seedpods, but mature leaves are occasionally skeletonized when tender growth is not available. Final instar larvae are about 10 mm long and light green to yellowish green.