Doryodes fusselli
Lafontaine & Sullivan, 2015
Doryodes fusselli is a in the Erebidae, described in 2015 from coastal North Carolina. It is distinguished from by a combination of stripe width, body size, and coloration. are active from spring through fall, with seasonal size variation in males. have been successfully reared on Spartina alterniflora and Bermuda grass.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Doryodes fusselli: /ˈdɔɹiˌoʊdiːz ˈfʌsəli/
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Identification
Distinguished from Doryodes bistrialis by broader medial stripe and larger size. Distinguished from Doryodes spadaria by narrower medial stripe, smaller size (especially females), and lacking buff coloration. Spring males overlap in size with D. spadaria, requiring careful examination of stripe width and hindwing color. Late summer D. spadaria males may have white hindwings, but size ranges do not overlap with D. fusselli in this .
Images
Appearance
length 12–17 mm in males, 16 mm in females. Forewing bears a medial chocolate stripe. with very faint buffy tone, lacking the stronger buff coloring of Doryodes spadaria.
Habitat
Coastal plain environments in North Carolina, from Dare County north to Brunswick and New Hanover counties south.
Distribution
to North Carolina, USA; documented from Dare County in the north to Brunswick and New Hanover counties in the south.
Seasonality
active April through October. Spring males larger than summer and fall males.
Diet
feed on leaves of Spartina alterniflora and fresh and wilted Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon). diet not documented.
Host Associations
- Spartina alterniflora - larval leaves
- Cynodon dactylon - larval fresh and wilted material
Life Cycle
Multiple per year with seasonal size variation in males; spring males larger than those of summer and fall generations.
Human Relevance
Named in honor of John Fussell of Morehead City, North Carolina, for decades of work describing and protecting the flora and fauna of the North Carolina coastal plain, particularly the Croatan National Forest.
Similar Taxa
- Doryodes bistrialisSimilar size but D. fusselli has broader medial stripe and is slightly larger
- Doryodes spadariaOverlapping size range in spring males, but D. fusselli has narrower medial stripe, smaller females, and without buff coloration
More Details
Etymology
epithet honors John Fussell from Morehead City, North Carolina.