Salt-marsh-specialist
Guides
Photedes enervata
many-lined cordgrass moth, many-lined photedes
Photedes enervata is a noctuid moth occurring in Atlantic coastal marshes of North America. The species was transferred from Hypocoena to Photedes based on morphological and genetic evidence. Larvae are specialist feeders on Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass), tying them to salt marsh ecosystems. Adults are rarely encountered away from coastal wetland habitats.
Poanes aaroni
Aaron's Skipper, Saffron Skipper
Poanes aaroni, commonly known as Aaron's Skipper or the Saffron Skipper, is a North American skipper butterfly restricted to salt marshes along the Atlantic coast. The species exhibits vivid orange coloration with broad black wing borders. It has a highly specialized ecological relationship, with larvae feeding exclusively on smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora). Four subspecies are currently recognized, reflecting geographic variation across its limited coastal range.