Chytolita

Chytolita is a monotypic litter moth genus of the family Erebidae erected by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1873.[1][2] Its only species, Chytolita morbidalis, the morbid owlet moth or morbid owlet, was first described by Achille Guenée in 1854.[3] It is found in large parts of North America, from coast to coast in the north and south to North Carolina, Texas and Florida in the west.[4] The habitat consists of deciduous woods and edges.

Chytolita
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Erebidae
Genus: Chytolita
Grote, 1873
Species:
C. morbidalis
Binomial name
Chytolita morbidalis
(Guenée, 1854)
Synonyms
  • Herminea morbidalis Guenée, 1854
  • Macrochilo morbidalis
  • Chytolita petrealis Grote, 1880
  • Macrochilo petrealis
  • Chytolita fulicalis Smith, 1907
  • Zanclognatha punctiformis Smith, 1895

The wingspan is 29–35 mm. The forewings are pale grayish white with diffuse, brownish or orangish lines. The hindwings are even paler with faint grayish veins. Adults are on wing from May to August. There seems to be one generation per year.

The larvae feed on the leaves of various deciduous trees and have been reared on dandelion, grass, hazel and lettuce.[5] There are also records for dead leaves, including dried white oak leaves.

Taxonomy

Chytolita petrealis is now considered a synonym of C. morbidalis because DNA barcode analysis has revealed little barcode variation among specimens of both forms examined across a wide geographic range.[3] The smaller, darker "petrealis" form was known by the common names lesser gray chytolita, stone-winged owlet or lesser luteous snout.

References
  1. Lafontaine, Donald; Schmidt, Christian (March 19, 2010). "Annotated check list of the Noctuoidea (Insecta, Lepidoptera) of North America north of Mexico". ZooKeys. 40: 26. doi:10.3897/zookeys.40.414.
  2. Zahiri, Reza; et al. (2011). "Molecular phylogenetics of Erebidae (Lepidoptera, Noctuoidea)". Systematic Entomology. 37: 102–124. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3113.2011.00607.x.
  3. Crabo, L. G.; Davis, M.; Hammond, P.; Mustelin, T & Shepard, J. (2013). "Five new species and three new subspecies of Erebidae and Noctuidae (Insecta, Lepidoptera) from Northwestern North America, with notes on Chytolita Grote (Erebidae) and Hydraecia Guenée (Noctuidae)". ZooKeys 264: 85-123. doi:10.3897/zookeys.264.4304
  4. "930502.00 – 8355 – Chytolita morbidalis – Morbid Owlet Moth – (Guenée, 1854)". North American Moth Photographers Group. Mississippi State University. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  5. McLeod, Robin (May 16, 2015). "Species Chytolita morbidalis - Morbid Owlet - Hodges#8355". BugGuide. Retrieved January 26, 2020.


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