Monochroa quinquepunctella
(Busck, 1903)
Five-spotted Twirler Moth
Monochroa quinquepunctella is a small gelechiid native to eastern North America. The is readily identified by its distinctive pattern of five black dots arranged on pale yellowish forewings. It has been documented from the southeastern United States north to Quebec, with most records concentrated in the Appalachian and Gulf Coastal regions. The references both the five spots and the twirling characteristic of many gelechiid moths.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Monochroa quinquepunctella: /məˈnɒkroʊə ˌkwɪŋkwiˌpʌŋkˈtɛlə/
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Identification
Distinguished from other Monochroa by the specific arrangement of five black forewing spots in a rhomboid pattern with fifth spot outside . The pale yellowish ground color with darkening toward apex separates it from darker . Similar gelechiids with spotted patterns lack the precise equidistant spacing and rhomboid configuration of the four basal- spots.
Images
Distribution
Eastern North America: recorded from Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Quebec, South Carolina, and Tennessee. GBIF records confirm presence in Canada and United States.
Similar Taxa
- Other Monochroa speciesMay share spotted patterns but differ in number, arrangement, or coloration of forewing spots; M. quinquepunctella uniquely has five equidistant black dots in rhomboid pattern
More Details
Taxonomic history
Originally described as Aristotelia quinquepunctella by Busck in 1903, later transferred to Monochroa