Chytolita
Chytolita is a small moth genus in the family Erebidae. It has only one species, Chytolita morbidalis, known as the morbid owlet moth.
Appearance
- Wingspan: 29–35 mm
- Forewings: pale grayish white with diffuse brownish or orangish lines
- Hindwings: even paler with faint grayish veins
Where it lives
- Found across much of North America, from coast to coast in the north and reaching south to North Carolina, Texas, and Florida.
- Habitat includes deciduous woods and edges.
Life cycle
- Adults are active from May to August, with about one generation per year.
What the larvae eat
- Larvae feed on the leaves of various deciduous trees.
- They have been raised on dandelion, grass, hazel, and lettuce, and there are records of feeding on dead leaves, including dried white oak.
Taxonomy note
- Chytolita petrealis, once considered separate, is now regarded as the same species as Chytolita morbidalis due to DNA barcode evidence.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 07:21 (CET).