About Dasypyga alternosquamella Ragonot, 1887
Dasypyga alternosquamella is a species of snout moth belonging to the genus Dasypyga. It was first described by Émile Louis Ragonot in 1887, and it is found in western North America. The larvae of this species feed only on dwarf mistletoe species from the genus Arceuthobium, specifically Arceuthobium vaginatum subsp. cryptopodum and Arceuthobium campylopodum. In the earliest stage of their development, the first instar, larvae feed on the flowers and tips of dwarf mistletoe shoots. In later developmental stages, they mine into the interior of the shoots and eat the mistletoe from inside. Because larvae begin mining from the base of mistletoe shoots, their feeding activity generally kills the host plant. Large populations of D. alternosquamella can cause dramatic changes to the ecology of dwarf mistletoe populations. Larval body color is highly variable, and matches the color of the mistletoe shoots the larvae are feeding on.
