Phormoestes

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Panorpida
Cladus: Amphiesmenoptera
Ordo: Lepidoptera
Subordo: Glossata
Cladus: Coelolepida
Cladus: Myoglossata
Cladus: Neolepidoptera
Infraordo: Heteroneura
Cladus: Eulepidoptera
Cladus: Ditrysia

Familia: Millieriidae
Genus: Phormoestes
Species (1):
P. palmettovora
Name

Phormoestes Heppner, 1982

Type species: Phormoestes palmettovora Heppner, 1982
References

Heppner, J.B. 1982. Millieriinae, a new subfamily of Choreutidae, with new taxa from Chile and the United States (Lepidoptera: Sesioidea). Smithsonian contributions to zoology (370) DOI: 10.5479/si.00810282.370. PDF Reference page.
Heppner, J.B. 2010: Nearctic metalmark moths, 1. Genus Phormoestes (Lepidoptera: Choreutidae: Millieriinae). Lepidoptera novae, 3 (2): 119–124.

Links

ION
Nomenclator Zoologicus

Phormoestes is a genus of moths in the family Choreutidae, containing only one species, Phormoestes palmettovora, which is known from Florida, United States.

The length of the forewings is 3.3–4 mm. Adults are on wing from March to May.[1]

The larvae feed on Sabal palmetto. Larvae have been found boring within the minute flower pods of the inflorescence of the host plant. After sufficient feeding, the larvae apparently take one of the hollowed out flower pods and form a pupal case, having a flap on the distal end, and transport this case to the ventral side of one of the large palm leaves. The pupal case is attached to the midrib of one of the many leaflets of the palm leaf. It appears that larvae or pupae overwinter in the pupal case and adults of the first generation emerge the following March, when the palms are again producing inflorescences.
References

"Millieriinae, A New Subfamily of Choreutidae, with New Taxa from Chile and the United States (Lepidoptera: Sesioidea)" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-12-19.