''Holcocera iceryaeella'' is a

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

in the family

Blastobasidae The Blastobasidae are a family of moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea. Its species can be found almost anywhere in the world, though in some places they are not native but introduced by humans. In some arrangements, these moths are included in t ...

. It is found in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, United States. The length of the forewings is 9.8–14.1 mm. The forewings are brownish gray intermixed with pale-gray and a few white scales or white intermixed with gray and pale-gray scales. The hindwings are translucent on the basal half, gradually darkening to the margin. The larvae feed on decaying plant tissue, but have also been recorded as a predator on gregarious

Hemiptera Hemiptera (; ) is an order (biology), order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, Reduviidae, assassin bugs, Cimex, bed bugs, and shield bugs. ...

. They have been recorded feeding on plant debris of the following plant species: ''

Yucca whipplei ''Hesperoyucca whipplei'' ( syn. ''Yucca whipplei''), the chaparral yucca, our Lord's candle, Spanish bayonet, Quixote yucca or foothill yucca, is a species of flowering plant closely related to, and formerly usually included in, the genus ''Yucc ...

'', ''

Juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...

'', '' Sequoia sempervirens'', '' Quercus agrifolia'', '' Quercus lobata'', '' Persea americana'', ''

Medicago arborea ''Medicago arborea'' is a flowering plant species in the pea and bean family Fabaceae. Common names include moon trefoil, shrub medick, alfalfa arborea, and tree medick. It is found throughout Europe and especially in the Mediterranean basin, pri ...

'', ''

Ficus ''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending in ...

'', '' Abies concolor'', ''

Pinus radiata ''Pinus radiata'' ( syn. ''Pinus insignis''), the Monterey pine, insignis pine or radiata pine, is a species of pine native to the Central Coast of California and Mexico (Guadalupe Island and Cedros island). It is an evergreen conifer in the fa ...

'', '' Eriogonum parvifilium'', ''

Polyporus hirsutus ''Trametes hirsuta'', commonly known as hairy bracket, is a fungal plant pathogen. It is found on dead wood of deciduous trees, especially beechwood. It is found all year round and persists due to its leathery nature.Phillips, Roger (2006), Mushr ...

'', ''

Heteromeles arbutifolia ''Heteromeles arbutifolia'' (; more commonly by Californian botanists), commonly known as toyon, is a common perennial shrub native to extreme southwest Oregon, California, and the Baja California Peninsula. It is the sole species in the genus ...

'', ''

Prunus dulcis The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', Synonym (taxonomy)#Botany, syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of th ...

'' and '' Citrus sinensis''. Recorded animal hosts are ''

Lepidosaphes camelliae ''Lepidosaphes'' is a genus of scales and mealybugs in the family Diaspididae Diaspididae is the largest family of scale insects with over 2650 described species in around 400 genera. As with all scale insects, the female produces a waxy protec ...

'', ''

Icerya purchase ''Icerya'' is a genus of scale insects in the family Monophlebidae. It is named after physician-naturalist Dr. Edmond Icery of British Mauritius. Hermaphroditism Hermaphroditism is extremely rare in the insect world despite the comparatively co ...

'', '' Lecanium persicae'', ''

Planococcus citri ''Planococcus citri'', commonly known as the citrus mealybug, is a species of mealybugs native to Asia. It has been introduced to the rest of the world, including Europe, the Americas, and Oceania, as an agricultural pest. It is associated with ...

'' and ''

Pseudococcus ''Pseudococcus'' is a genus of unarmoured scale insects in the family Pseudococcidae, the mealy bugs. There are more than 150 species of ''Pseudococcus''. Species Species include: *'' Pseudococcus aberrans'' *'' Pseudococcus acirculus'' *'' Ps ...

'' species.A new Holcocera Clemens from Guatemala and redescription of H. iceryaeella from the United States
/ref>

References

iceryaeella Moths of North America Insects of Mexico Fauna of the California chaparral and woodlands Fauna of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Moths described in 1887 {{Holcocera-stub