Elachista obliquella
Elachista obliquella is a moth of the family Elachistidae found in Europe.
Elachista obliquella | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Elachistidae |
Genus: | Elachista |
Species: | E. obliquella |
Binomial name | |
Elachista obliquella Stainton, 1854 | |
Synonyms | |
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Description
The wingspan is 8–10 millimetres (0.31–0.39 in).The head is ochreous- whitish. Antennae whitish-ringed. Forewings light grey, irrorated with blackish ;a nearly straight central whitish fascia, sometimes ochreous tinged,in male slenderer and sometimes interrupted ; tips of apical cilia whitish. Hindwings are grey. The larva is grey-greenish ; head pale brown; 2 with two brown spots.[1]
Biology
Adults are on wing from April to July and again in August in two generations per year.[2]
The larvae feed on tor-grass (Brachypodium pinnatum), false-brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum), Bromopsis erecta, Bromopsis ramosa, reed grass (Calamagrostis species), acute sedge (Carex acuta), Carex hudsonii, Carex ornithopoda, Carex spicata, Carex sylvatica, cock's-foot (Dactylis glomerata), tufted hairgrass (Deschampsia cespitosa), fescue (Festuca species), wood-barley (Hordelymus europaeus), crested hair-grass (Koeleria macrantha), melic (Melica species) milletgrass {Milium species) and broad-leaved meadow-grass (Poa chaixii). They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts as a narrow, brown, ascending corridor and most of the frass is deposited in the basal part. Later, the larva leaves this mine and makes a new mine in another leaf. This mine is an elongated, somewhat inflated blotch which occupies nearly the entire width of the leaf.[3] They are dull grey green with a light brown head. Larvae can be found from autumn to mid-May and again in July.
Distribution
It is found from Scandinavia to the Iberian Peninsula, Italy and Romania and from Ireland to Ukraine. It is also found in Russia.
References
- Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London pdf This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Keys and description
- "Elachista obliquella". UK Moths. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- "Elachista obliquella Stainton, 1854". Bladmineerders.nl. Archived from the original on September 27, 2012. Retrieved September 12, 2011.