''Ozamia clarefacta'' is a species of snout moth in the genus ''

Ozamia ''Ozamia'' is a genus of snout moths in the subfamily Phycitinae. It was described by George Hampson in 1901. Some sources list it as a synonym of ''Zophodia ''Zophodia'' is a genus of snout moths in the subfamily Phycitinae. It was erecte ...

''. It was described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1919. It is found in

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

and

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

The forewings are gray with darker markings and the hindwings are pearly white with a narrow dark costal line. There are up to five generations per year. The larvae feed on ''

Opuntia ''Opuntia'', commonly called prickly pear or pear cactus, is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family Cactaceae. Prickly pears are also known as ''tuna'' (fruit), ''sabra'', ''nopal'' (paddle, plural ''nopales'') from the Nahuatl word f ...

'' species,Bug Guide
/ref> including ''

Opuntia lindheimeri ''Opuntia lindheimeri'' or Texas prickly pear is a species of cactus native to North America. It is native to Mexico and the United States, where its populations are primarily in Texas. Widespread taxonomic confusion has prevented a clear unders ...

'' and '' Opuntia cacanapa''. They feed on the flowers and fruit of the host plant. Young larvae of the first generation are somewhat white and later turn pink or wine colored and become dull black in the last

instar An instar (, from the Latin '' īnstar'', "form", "likeness") is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each moult (''ecdysis''), until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or ass ...

s. Larvae of the other generations remain a light pink and do not turn dark when full grown. Pupation takes place in a loose cocoon among rubbish and soil, or occasionally in dead flower heads.

Taxonomy

''Ozamia clarefacta'' was described as a subspecies of ''

Ozamia fuscomaculella ''Ozamia fuscomaculella'' is a species of snout moth in the genus ''Ozamia''. It was described by William S. Wright in 1916. It is found in the US state of California. Adults are on wing in July and August. The larvae feed on ''Opuntia littoral ...

''.

References

Moths described in 1919 Phycitini {{Phycitini-stub