Elophila gyralis
Family Crambidae, subfamily Acentropinae
Photograph copyright by Tony Leukering
30 June 2012
Cape May Point
CMMP block Y02
We return to the Crambidae, a large and varied family of microleps, to visit another subfamily. The Acentropinae has the common name of "Aquatic Crambids" due to the fact that most species's hosts are aquatic plants, as one might have guessed by the name of this essay's subject species. I don't know how they manage, as there is little readily available on the subfamily's habits and ecologies, but they obviously do so. Many members of the subfamily have distinctive wing patterns and, for crambids, are relatively easily identified. Once you know that they are crambids. Quite a few are delta-winged, like our subject and are readily confused with members of other families (particularly macrolep families), while others hold their wings out like geometrids.
As can quickly be determined by a glance at the distribution map (as of the writing of this essay), this wee beastie represents yet another first state record, though one not at all unanticipated due to its widespread distribution in eastern and central U. S. The location at which this individual was photographed is about equidistant between Lake Lily and the water bodies of Cape May Point S. P., and that distance is not very long at all, so it's no surprise that Waterlily Borer showed up at the Davis house in Cape May Point.
No comments:
Post a Comment