Thaumatographa jonesi (Brower, 1953)
Introduction
When we put together our Big Four drawer for the GigaPan art show one of the little double-mounted moths my colleague chose to represent Lepidoptera stood out for its incredibly colorful and chaotic coat of scales. This apparition has been floating in the back of my mind now for several months, haunting me. What is this species? After some detective work we determined it was Thaumatographa jonesi (Brower, 1953) (Tortricidae), commonly referred to (at least on BugGuide) as the Psychedelic Jones Moth. I’m not a huge fan of common names, but that has to be the best one I’ve heard in a long time! And so apropos. Far out, man.
Taxonomic History
This “dashing” (Brower 1953, pg. 97) little moth was described by A. E. Brower in 1953, based on male and female specimens from Martha’s Vineyard (MA) and specimens he borrowed from the Smithsonian that were collected in Laehurst, NJ and on Long Island (NY). The holotype is deposited in the Smithsonian. The original name was Hilarographa jonesi, but the species has since been transferred to Thaumatographa. The species epithet honors Dr. F. M. Jones, who collected four of the specimens.
Diagnosis
The striking color pattern is the primary diagnostic character for this species, especially its infusion of red and orange. Related species are much duller. The wingspan is between 12-14 mm.
Natural History
Host plant records for moths in the tribe Hilarographini (which is where Thaumatographa jonesi is currently classified) are rare and usually weird (see Heppner, 1982). Other Thaumatographa species have been reared from the cambium of Pinus, and T. jonesi has been collected near pine forests. We don’t know anything else about this species’ habits other than what we can glean from Brower’s notes about how the specimens were collected (pg. 97):
The first at light at the edge of an extensive woodland. The second was seen flying rapidly in a wood road and netted off oak leaves. The third was flying rapidly to and fro for about ten inches between a pitch pine and an oak, about twelve inches above the ground. The fourth was found in the afternoon sitting on the upper surface of an oak leaf, at intervals shifting its position by a twitching lateral movement with readjustment of its wings.
Distribution
Thaumatographa jonesi is classified in the subfamily Chlidanotinae (Tortricidae), which is largely tropical in its distribution. T. jonesi is found as far north as Massachusetts and at least as far south as Florida (Minno, 1992). The lone specimen (currently) in the NCSU Insect Museum was collected in Raleigh.
Find out more
- Brower, AE. 1953. Three new species of Microlepidoptera (Olethreutidae, Glyphipterygidae and Yponomeutidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 46: 95-98.
- Heppner, JB. 1982. Synopsis of the Hilarographini (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) of the world. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of America 84 (4): 704-715.
- Minno, MC. 1992. Lepidoptera of the Archbold Biological Station, Highlands County, Florida. The Florida Entomologist 75 (3): 297-329
- Thaumatographa jonesi species page at BugGuide: http://bugguide.net/node/view/146822
- Hilarographa jonesi species page at GBIF: http://data.gbif.org/species/14106011/
- Thaumatographa jonesi species page at the Moth Photographers Group website: Hodges #3751
Map
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