Litocala

Harvey, 1875

Species Guides

Litocala sexsignata(Litocala Moth)

Litocala is a in the Erebidae, established by Leon F. Harvey in 1875. It contains a single , Litocala sexsignata, found in western North American oak woodlands. The genus belongs to the Calpinae within the diverse erebid moth family.

Litocala by (c) Roger Rittmaster, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Roger Rittmaster. Used under a CC-BY license.

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Erebinae- Litocala sexsignata - 41933525022 by Kristof Zyskowski & Yulia Bereshpolova. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Litocala: //lɪtoʊˈkɑːlə//

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Identification

As a , Litocala is effectively identified by its sole . Litocala sexsignata has forewings measuring 13–15 mm in length. The genus-level characteristics require examination of genitalic to distinguish it from related Calpinae genera.

Images

Habitat

Oak woodlands and forests, primarily in montane and foothill regions of western North America.

Distribution

Western North America: United States (Washington, Montana, Utah, Colorado, California) and northern Baja California, Mexico.

Seasonality

active from March to June.

Behavior

have been observed sipping moisture at puddles and nectaring at willow catkins.

Similar Taxa

Other Calpinae generaLitocala is distinguished from related in the Calpinae by genitalic characters and the specific combination of wing pattern and size; precise identification requires dissection and comparison with .

More Details

Taxonomic history

Both the Litocala and its sole were described by Leon F. Harvey; the species L. sexsignata was described in 1875, with the genus established in 1878. Two are recognized: L. s. sexsignata and L. s. deserta (described by Edwards in 1881).