Archips rileyana
(Grote, 1868)
Southern Ugly-nest Caterpillar Moth
Archips rileyana, commonly known as the Southern Ugly-nest , is a of moth to eastern North America. The species was first described by Grote in 1868 under the name Tortrix rileyana. construct characteristic 'ugly nests' by webbing together leaves and feeding within these shelters. The species has been recorded across a broad geographic range from Maine south to Florida and west to Texas and Missouri.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Archips rileyana: /ˈɑːrkɪps rɪˈleɪənə/
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Identification
are -sized with typical Archips . The can be distinguished from related () such as Synanthedon rileyana, with which it has been historically confused, by its non-transparent and tortricid . The specific epithet honors the Charles Valentine Riley. are that construct messy, webbed leaf shelters characteristic of the 'ugly-nest' .
Images
Distribution
Eastern North America: recorded from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Host Associations
- goldenrod - larval feeding
Life Cycle
with , larval, pupal, and stages. are that construct silken webbing to bind leaves together into feeding shelters.
Behavior
exhibit a defensive 'ejection' when threatened: they drop from their leaf roll on a silken , then climb back once danger passes. This behavior has been observed to be exploited by predatory such as Ancistrocerus unifasciatus, which use vibrations to stimulate the to eject and then capture it in mid-air.
Ecological Role
Larval stage serves as for solitary , particularly (Eumeninae) that hunt to provision nests.
Similar Taxa
- Archips purpuranaSimilar and use; both associated with goldenrod
- Synanthedon rileyanaHistorically confused due to similar specific epithet and ; distinguished as a () with transparent and -mimicking appearance versus
More Details
Taxonomic note
The epithet has appeared as both 'rileyana' and 'rileyanus' in literature; 'rileyana' is the accepted form per Catalogue of Life and GBIF.
Nomenclatural history
Originally described as Tortrix rileyana Grote, 1868; later transferred to Archips.