About Hellinsia elliottii (Fernald, 1893)
Hellinsia elliottii is a moth species belonging to the family Pterophoridae. This species has been recorded in locations across North America, including the U.S. states of Mississippi, New York, and Iowa, as well as the Canadian provinces of Quebec, Alberta, and Ontario. The wingspan of adult individuals ranges from 21 to 26 mm. Adults have a very pale fuscous head, whitish fuscous thorax and abdomen, and entirely white legs. The forewings are white, with an ocher yellow tinge near the base and along the apical third of the costa. Near the apex of the costa, there is a very oblique streak made up of brown scales, and a dark-brown spot sits before the wing's fissure. An irregular streak of brown scales stretches from the base of the wing to the fissure. The forewing fringes are white. The hindwings are pure white; some specimens have a small number of ocher-yellow scales scattered across their surface. The larvae of Hellinsia elliottii are light green, with long, white, shiny hairs that emerge from their tubercles. A distinct creamy dorsal line runs along the larva's body except on the prothorax; this line is broken at the center of each segment by a small, round dot matching the larva's base body color. Pupation occurs within a green pupa that bears pale ochreous markings.
