Kearfottia albifasciella - Hodges#0319
Kearfottia albifasciella
This record describes Kearfottia albifasciella (species). Recorded family: Psychidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Head | Dark brown, long haired (scaled). Palpi long, folded, dark brown, scaled (hairy) on underside. Antenna: Dark brown. |
| Thorax | Dark brown. Underside yellowish-white. Wings: Dark brown-bronzy. Wide white stripe covering about half wing at center, narrowing slightly. Front border of stripe straight, hind border with two points. Costa border of stripe has 4 dark, evenly spaced dots, and inner margin has 3. Both sets sometimes faded or completely absent. Fringe dark brown. Sometimes dotted white along wing tip before fringe. May have a white fleck at anal angle. Hind wings and fringe gray-brown. |
| Legs | Dark brown ringed with white. |
| Abdomen | Gray-brown on top side. Underside of abdomen and legs are yellowish-white (Fernald, 1904). |
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Tineoidea
- Family
- Psychidae (Bagworm Moths)
- Subfamily
- Naryciinae
- Genus
- Kearfottia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Found throughout much of eastern North America; Texas and Oklahoma; Ontario. Moth Photographers Group - large map with some collection locations and dates. Bug Guide - map of photo records submitted to the guide. Described material: Plummers's Island, MD (Mr. August Busck , July 1893); Cincinnati, OH (Miss Annette F. Braun , July 7, 1903); Montclair, NJ (Mr. W.D. Kearfott ).
Seasonal Activity
May to August.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Debris, fungus, rotting animal and vegetation.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Specific epithet from Latin meaning "white-banded."
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Kearfottia albifasciella. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Kearfottia albifasciella - Hodges#0319 (9)
Photo credits: Contributed by Cotinis; Additional contributions by Maury Heiman , Robert Lord Zimlich , Randy Hardy , Fyn Kynd , lee_penner
Frequently Asked Questions About Kearfottia albifasciella - Hodges#0319
What is Kearfottia albifasciella - Hodges#0319?
Kearfottia albifasciella - Hodges#0319 (Kearfottia albifasciella) is a species in the family Psychidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Kearfottia albifasciella - Hodges#0319?
Wingspan 9-10 mm (Fernald, 1904).
How do you identify Kearfottia albifasciella - Hodges#0319?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Head | Dark brown, long haired (scaled). Palpi long, folded, dark brown, scaled (hairy) on underside. Antenna: Dark brown. |
| Thorax | Dark brown. Underside yellowish-white. Wings: Dark brown-bronzy. Wide white stripe covering about half wing at center, narrowing slightly. Front border of stripe straight, hind border with two points. Costa border of stripe has 4 dark, evenly spaced dots, and inner margin has 3. Both sets sometimes faded or completely absent. Fringe dark brown. Sometimes dotted white along wing tip before fringe. May have a white fleck at anal angle. Hind wings and fringe gray-brown. |
| Legs | Dark brown ringed with white. |
| Abdomen | Gray-brown on top side. Underside of abdomen and legs are yellowish-white (Fernald, 1904). |
Where is Kearfottia albifasciella - Hodges#0319 found?
Range: Found throughout much of eastern North America; Texas and Oklahoma; Ontario. Moth Photographers Group - large map with some collection locations and dates. Bug Guide - map of photo records submitted to the guide. Described material: Plummers's Island, MD (Mr. August Busck , July 1893); Cincinnati, OH (Miss Annette F. Braun , July 7, 1903); Montclair, NJ (Mr. W.D. Kearfott ).
What does Kearfottia albifasciella - Hodges#0319 eat?
The diet of the Kearfottia albifasciella - Hodges#0319 includes Debris, fungus, rotting animal and vegetation..
When is Kearfottia albifasciella - Hodges#0319 active?
Kearfottia albifasciella - Hodges#0319: seasonal activity - May to August..