The Life History and Ecology of the Lesser Wasp Moth, Pseudocharis minima, (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Euchromiina) in the Pine Rocklands of South Florida

Tiffany Moore^1,* and Frank Ridgley¹

¹Zoo Miami, Conservation and Research Department, Miami, FL 33177. *Corresponding author.

Southeastern Naturalist, Volume 22, Issue 2 (2023): 123–135

Abstract
The Arctiinae species Pseudocharis minima (Lesser Wasp Moth) is considered imperiled according to Florida Natural Areas Inventory but little had been published on its life history. We describe the life history of the Lesser Wasp Moth descriptively and quantitatively while providing images of eggs, larval instars, pupae, and adults. We describe a variance in the number of larval instars from 6 to 8. We also report the first field observations of Lesser Wasp Moths utilizing Crossopetalum rhcoma (Maidenberry) for egg laying and larval consumption. The mean life-cycle duration is ~61 days and can provide about 6 generations in a single year. We anticipate that our research will aid in the management of native pine rockland habitats for the Lesser Wasp Moth as well as laying the groundwork for conservation efforts in the event of possible further population declines.

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