Spiderling Plume Moth on Wineflower
by Paul Rebmann
Title
Spiderling Plume Moth on Wineflower
Artist
Paul Rebmann
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
A spiderling plume moth on a red spiderling flower, also known as wineflower.
This image has been featured in the following groups:
Bugs Bugs and more Bugs (8/8/2017)
This tiny plume moth can be found throughout Florida often near members of the Nyctaginaceae - Four o'clock - family of plants. The range also includes the Caribbean, southern California and Arizona.
With the distinctive "T" or airplane wing shape of plume moths at rest, this moth looked like a tiny tuft of down in flight. The wingspan is from about a half to three-quarters inch. Adult moths often have the abdomen in a recurved position, appearing much like a scorpion.
The host plants for Megalorhipida leucodactylus are the spiderlings (genus Boerhavia.
Boerhavia diffusa - known as both red spiderling and wineflower - is a frequent perennial of dry disturbed sites throughout much of Florida. It can be sprawling or ascending, with slender stems to three feet tall or more with opposite and ovoid leaves, mostly on the lower parts of the plant. The pink to purplish flowers are minute, with inconspicuous bracts and lacking petals. Three stamens are surrounded by a glandular, five lobed calyx tube.
(Subject description from the artist's Wild Florida Photo website www.wildflphoto.com)
Uploaded
August 5th, 2017
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