Pseudothyris sepulchralis

Pseudothyris sepulchralis, the mournful thyris, is a species of day-flying^[1] moth in the family Thyrididae and can be found throughout North America.^[2] They have a flight duration of 2–3 weeks. The adults are rarely found on flowering plants for feeding.^[1]

Mournful Thyris Moth
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Thyrididae
Genus:	Pseudothyris
Species:	P. sepulchralis
Binomial name
Pseudothyris sepulchralis (Guérin-Méneville, 1832)
Synonyms
Thyris sepulchralis Guérin-Méneville, 1832 Thyris lugubris Boisduval, 1852 Dysodia margaritana Clemens, 1862

Description

The larva is about 18 millimetres (0.71 in) in length.^[1] As an adult, its wingspan is around 15–23 millimetres (0.59–0.91 in) and its body is black with white spots and marks.^[3]

The larvae feed on Smilax species.^[4]

Pupae

The larva cuts an almost perfect circle into a leaf, before rolling itself in it, creating a pouch shaped cocoon and hibernating in it until the following year.^[1]