Hodges#4639
Pyromorpha dimidiata
Classification
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Superfamily: Zygaenoidea
- Family: Zygaenidae
- Subfamily: Procridinae
- Genus: Pyromorpha
- Species: dimidiata
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Pyromorpha dimidiata: /paɪroʊˈmɔrfə ˌdɪmɪˈdaɪətə/
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Images
Summary
Pyromorpha dimidiata, the orange-patched smoky moth, is a species of leaf skeletonizer moth of the family Zygaenidae found in eastern North America, notable for its distinctive orange and black wing coloration and its early summer flight and feeding habits.
Physical Characteristics
Wingspan 18-28 mm; wings black, translucent, basal half of forewing orange. Adult wings typically held horizontally over the abdomen when at rest. The forewings have two solid color regions: dark gray with a blue sheen in the terminal half and orange in the basal half.
Identification Tips
Can be confused with the unrelated black-and-yellow lichen moth (Lycomorpha pholus) and the net-winged beetles of the genus Calopteron. Note the flight period differences: Pyromorpha flies in early summer while Lycomorpha flies in late summer and fall.
Habitat
Deciduous forests and nearby fields.
Distribution
Eastern and central North America, extending from Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Missouri in the west to Florida, New York, and Rhode Island in the east.
Diet
Adults take nectar; larvae feed on dead and decaying leaves beneath fallen leaves in oak woods.
Life Cycle
Adults have been reported from March to August, with most sightings in May and June.
Ecosystem Role
Larvae act as leaf skeletonizers.
Similar Taxa
Misconceptions
Often mistaken for unrelated moths due to similar wing patterns.
Tags
- moth
- Zygaenidae
- North America
- insect
- Lepidoptera