Metzneria aestivella
Metzneria aestivella dichroa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Gelechiidae
Genus: Metzneria
Species:
M. aestivella
Binomial name
Metzneria aestivella
(Zeller, 1839)[1]
Synonyms
  • Gelechia aestivella Zeller, 1839
  • Gelechia carlinella Stainton, 1851
  • Metzneria carlinella
  • Gelechia selaginella Mann, 1855
  • Parasia torridella Mann, 1859
  • Metzneria dichroa Walsingham, [1908]

Metzneria aestivella is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is found in most of Europe, except Iceland, Norway, Lithuania, Slovakia and Ukraine. The habitat consists of dry, sunny areas with low-growing herbaceous plants.

The wingspan is 11–15 mm. The terminal joint of palpi slender, 2/3 of second. Forewings pale are ochreous, more or less wholly suffused with reddish-ochreous ; margins and veins partly marked with fuscous lines. Hindwings are grey. The larva is whitish ; head and plate of 2 blackish.[2] Adults are similar to Metzneria lappella and Metzneria metzneriella but lack the black discal spot on the forewing.[3] Adults are on wing from June to July.

Larvae can be found in winter and spring in old flowers of Carlina vulgaris, Pyrethrum corymbosum and Carlina acaulis. Full-grown larvae reach a length of 8–9 mm. They have a cream-coloured body. The colour of the head varies from dark-brown to red-brown. Pupation takes place in mid-May, usually outside of the flower seeds.[4]

Subspecies

  • Metzneria aestivella aestivella
  • Metzneria aestivella dichroa Walsingham, 1908 (Canary Islands)

References

  1. ↑ Fauna Europaea
  2. ↑ Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London pdf Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Keys and description
  3. ↑ UKmoths
  4. ↑ microlepidoptera.nl Archived 2013-10-05 at the Wayback Machine


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