Cahela

Cahela is a monotypic snout moth genus described by Carl Heinrich in 1939. Its only species, Cahela ponderosella, the cahela moth, described by William Barnes and James Halliday McDunnough in 1918, is found in Mexico and in the US states of California, Texas, Arizona, Utah and probably Nevada.[7]

Cahela
Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Pyralidae
Genus:	Cahela Heinrich, 1939[1][2]
Species:	C. ponderosella
Binomial name
Cahela ponderosella (Barnes & McDunnough, 1918)[3][4]
Synonyms
Olyca ponderosella Barnes & McDunnough, 1918[5] Cactobrosis interstitialis Dyar, 1925 Cactobrosis pheonicis Dyar, 1925 Zophodia purgatoria Dyar, 1925 Cactobrosis (?) ponderosella Dyar, 1928[6]

The wingspan is about 38 mm. The forewings are slender, brownish gray with black longitudinal lines, along the veins. The hindwings are white with a white fringe and are much wider than the forewings. Adults are on wing from March to June.

The larvae feed on the stems of Cylindropuntia species.

References

1. Nuss, M.; et al. (2003–2017). "GlobIZ search". Global Information System on Pyraloidea. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
2. Heinrich, Carl (1939). "The cactus-feeding Phycitinae: A contribution toward a revision of the American pyralidoid moths of the family Phycitidae". Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 86 (3053): 361–363. doi:10.5479/si.00963801.86-3053.331. Pl. 26, Figs. 13–13f; Pl. 38; Figs. 51–51a; Pl. 47, Figs. 102–102a, 103–103a.
3. Savela, Markku. "Cahela Heinrich, 1939". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
4. "800604 – 5977 – Cahela ponderosella – Cahela Moth – (Barnes & McDunnough, 1918)". Moth Photographers Group. Mississippi State University. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
5. Barnes, William; McDunnough, J. H. (1918). "Olyca ponderosella sp. nov.". Notes and New Species. Contributions to the Natural History of the Lepidoptera of North America. 4 (2). Decatur, IL: Review Press. p. 175. Pl. 22, Fig. 22.
6. Dyar, Harrison G. (1928). "Notes on cactus moths allied to Melitara, with two new genera and one new species". Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 30 (8): 136.
7. McLeod, Robin (April 24, 2014). "Species Cahela ponderosella - Cahela Moth - Hodges#5977". BugGuide. Retrieved June 7, 2019.

Further reading

• Heinrich, Carl (1956). "Genus Cabela Heinrich". American Months of the Subafamily Phycitinae. United States National Museum Bulletin. 207. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 247–248. Figs. 539, 1027.