''Epimartyria auricrinella'' (goldcap moss-eater moth) is a species of
moth belonging to the family
Micropterigidae. It was described by
Lord Walsingham. It is known from the eastern parts of the United States (from
Maine to
Michigan and south to
Tennessee and
Georgia) as well as south-eastern
Canada (from
Nova Scotia to
Ontario).
The species occurs in shaded locations, in wet swampy woods, boggy ditches, or creek sides where leafy (moss-like) liverworts grow.
The length of the forewings is 4.2–5.6 mm. Adults are easily distinguished from those of the other members of the genus ''
Epimartyria
''Epimartyria'' is a genus of small primitive metallic moths in the family Micropterigidae.
Species
*''Epimartyria auricrinella'' Walsingham, 1898
*'' Epimartyria bimaculella'' Davis & Landry, 2012
*''Epimartyria pardella
''Epimartyria pardell ...
'' in possessing uniformly dark fuscous forewings without the yellowish spots present in those species.
A review of the North American genus Epimartyria (Lepidoptera, Micropterigidae) with a discussion of the larval plastron
/ref> Adults are diurnal. They can be seen perched on low foliage during the day and can
be active even in early morning after sunrise. Mating takes place in the afternoon.
The larvae feed on the leafy, moss-like species of liverwort, including ''Bazzania trilobata
''Bazzania trilobata'', the greater whipwort or threelobed bazzania, is a species of liverwort in the Lepidoziaceae family. It grows in the northern hemisphere temperate
In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle ...
''. Full-grown larvae reach a length of 5 mm. They are generally brown in color, but lighter brown ventrally. They possess a plastron which indicates the capacity to live for short periods in a subaquatic environment or, at least in a habitat that is water-saturated. Larval development probably spans over two years.
References
Micropterigidae
Moths described in 1898
Taxa named by Thomas de Grey, 6th Baron Walsingham
{{Micropterigidae-stub