Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Crambidae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Palpita | |
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Similar Palpita quadristigmalis, Palpita flegia, Palpita, Spilomelinae, Diaphania | ||
Palpita maritima is a moth in the Crambidae family. It is found in Alabama, North Carolina (from Carteret County south to Brunswick County) and Florida. The habitat consists of coastal maritime forests.
The wingspan is 29 mm. The forewing has a slightly rounded apex. The ground color is brown with a mixture of chocolate and fuscous scales. The orbicular and reniform spots are well marked. The hindwings are fuscous and less patterned than the forewings. The underside of the wings is white and less patterned, but the orbicular and reniform spots are visible. Adults have been recorded from late March to August.
The larvae probably feed on Osmanthus americana.
Etymology
The name refers to the habitat type, coastal maritime forest, where the species is most abundant in the spring.