Atteva fabriciella (Swederus, 1787) - Ailanthus Webworm Moth

Taxonomic Information

Atteva Walker, 1854 species known from India. 
Atteva fabriciella (Swederus, 1787). 
Atteva niveigutta Walker, 1854). 
Atteva subaurata Durrant, 1900. India: Meghalaya (Cherrapunji),  Assam (Margherita), Sikkim. 

Photo Gallery and Species Biology

Separating Atteva fabriciella (Swederus, 1787) and Atteva niveigutta Walker, 1854). based on external morphology alone is difficult. Most peninsular Indian populations are likely to be Atteva fabriciella (Swederus, 1787). 

Sohn & Wu (2013) state that Atteva fabriciella has labial palpi and legs mostly white, and white spots on the wings, small. Atteva niveigutta has labial palpi and legs mostly brown, and white spots on the wings, large. 

StateJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNo date
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Andhra Pradesh11
Arunachal Pradesh
Assam
Bihar
Chandigarh
Chhattisgarh
Dadra & Nagar Haveli
Daman & Diu
Delhi1
Goa
Gujarat1552
Haryana
Himachal Pradesh
Jammu and Kashmir
Jharkhand
Karnataka
Kerala51
Lakshadweep
Madhya Pradesh
Maharashtra14211
Manipur
Meghalaya
Mizoram
Nagaland
Odisha
Paschimbanga
Pondicherry
Punjab
Rajasthan
Sikkim
Tamil Nadu
Tripura
Uttar Pradesh
Uttarakhand
West Bengal
Total22951111

Atteva fabriciella (Swederus, 1787): Ailanthus excelsa (Simaroubaceae), Ailanthus triphysa, Samadera indica (Simaroubaceae), Boswellia serrata (Burseraceae), Cajanus cajan, Acacia sp.  (Fabaceae), Santalum album (Santalaceae) (Robinson et al. 2010). 

  1. OD: Phalaena fabriciella Swederus, 1787. Kongl. Svensk. Vet. Ak. Handl. 8:277. 
  2. Sohn J-C. & C-S. Wu. 2013. A taxonomic review of Attevidae (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea) from China with descriptions of two new species and a revised identity of the Ailanthus webworm moth, Atteva fabriciella, from the Asian tropics. Journal of Insect Science 13:66. Available online: http://www.insectscience.org/13.66. [accessed 01 April 2020]  
  3. https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/633179-Atteva-fabriciella

Page citation

Anonymous 2024. Atteva fabriciella (Swederus, 1787) – Ailanthus Webworm Moth. In Sondhi, S., Y. Sondhi, R.P. Singh, P. Roy and K. Kunte (Chief Editors). Butterflies of India, v. 3.72. Published by the Indian Foundation for Butterflies. URL: https://moths.ncbs.res.in/atteva-fabriciella, accessed 2024/03/29.