Greya powelli
Olle Pellmyr
Adult Characteristics
Wing expanse 7-12 mm. Forewing in female white, heavily banded with rusty confluent patches into a checkerspot pattern. Male with white to pale gray forewing, lightly suffused with a sparse scattering of light brown scales, pattern obsolescent if present at all. Hindwing paler than forewing in both sexes.
Comparison with Similar Species
Both sexes resemble G. reticulata but the latter is considerably larger and occurs in more moist habitats.
Host, Oviposition, and Larval Feeding Habits
Feeds on Bowlesia incana (Apiaceae). The female cuts and oviposits into young fruits, and the larva feeds on the developing seeds for the first one or two instars. The life history of later stages is unknown.
Female ovipositing into a Bowlesia fruit at stem node; picture on right shows paired fruits at node of a plant.
Geographic Distribution
Known from the coastal range between the San Francisco Bay area and the San Gabriel Mountains, and in the south-central Sierra Nevada of California.
Habitat
In dry to slightly moist grassy areas in open oak woodland, particularly at the oak-pine transition. The host plant often grows tucked under Artemisia californica, and these shrubs serve as perch sites for males. Females generally stay on the host, and are rarely seen flying. Elevational range, 300-850 m.
Typical habitat of G. powelli in Santa Barbara Co., California, USA; shrub above trunk is an Artemisia.
References
Davis, D.R., O. Pellmyr & J.N. Thompson. 1992. Biology and systematics of Greya Busck and Tetragma n. gen. (Lepidoptera: Prodoxidae). Smiths. Contrib. Zool. 524:1-88.
Title Illustrations
| Scientific Name | Greya powelli |
|---|---|
| Location | Santa Barbara Co., California, USA |
| Specimen Condition | Dead Specimen |
| Sex | Male |
| Image Use |
 This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0.
|
| Copyright |
© 1996
|
| Scientific Name | Greya powelli |
|---|---|
| Location | Santa Barbara Co., California, USA |
| Specimen Condition | Dead Specimen |
| Sex | Female |
| Image Use |
This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0.
|
| Copyright |
© 1996
|
About This Page
University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
Page copyright © 1996
Page: Tree of Life
Greya powelli .
Authored by
Olle Pellmyr.
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Citing this page:
Pellmyr, Olle. 1996. Greya powelli . Version 01 January 1996 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Greya_powelli/12323/1996.01.01 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/
