Elachistidae
Elachista argentella
ELACHISTA (Aphelosetia) argentella (Clerck,1759)
Elachista argentella
ELACHISTA (Aphelosetia) argentella (Clerck,1759)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Vernacular Name: Swan-feather Dwarf
Wingspan: 11-12mm
Worldwide Distribution: All of Europe except the Balkan peninsula : W Palearctic Region
UK Distribution: Common throughout Britain
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Grassland habitats : Downland : Parkland : Coastal habitats.
Similar Species:-
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: An easy moth to locate in the field as it sits on grass stems in white or off white where it can be disturbed during the day and at certain times be seen in good numbers.
The moth usually flies in late afternoon and evening and readily comes to light.
It is a single brooded moth usually seen between early May and early August and in good years can be seen as early as April.
As can be seen below the moth larvae feed on various grasses throughout its range where they can be seen within the mine of thin grass in early spring.
Wingspan: 11-12mm
Worldwide Distribution: All of Europe except the Balkan peninsula : W Palearctic Region
UK Distribution: Common throughout Britain
UK Conservation Status -
- Common =>300 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena argentella Clerck 1759
- Elachista bifasciella Treitschke, 1833
- Sweden
Habitat: Grassland habitats : Downland : Parkland : Coastal habitats.
Similar Species:-
- Opostega salaciella Treitschke, 1833 - distinguishable from
- Elachista argentella Clerck, 1759 by its very large eye-caps.
- Elachista subalbidella Schläger, 1847 - colour yellow ocre as opposed to white or off white.
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: An easy moth to locate in the field as it sits on grass stems in white or off white where it can be disturbed during the day and at certain times be seen in good numbers.
The moth usually flies in late afternoon and evening and readily comes to light.
It is a single brooded moth usually seen between early May and early August and in good years can be seen as early as April.
As can be seen below the moth larvae feed on various grasses throughout its range where they can be seen within the mine of thin grass in early spring.
Photo Gallery
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Note - Plants hyperlinked in red below take the visitor to the relevant plant page on"Plants for a Future" website
where further information like photos,physical
characteristics,habitats,edible uses,medicinal
uses,cultivation,propagation,range,height etc. are clearly listed.
- Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
- Poaceae - Gramineae - True Grasses Family
- Avenula pubescens - Downy Oat-grass
- Brachypodium pinnatum - Tor-grass
- Brachypodium sylvaticum - False Brome
- Bromus erectus - Upright Brome - Meadow Brome
- Bromus sterilis - Barren Brome
- Calamagrostic epigejos - Wood-small Reed
- Dactylis glomerata - Cock's-foot - Orchard grass
- Deschampsia cespitosa - Tufted hair-grass - Tussock grass
- Elymus hispidus - Hairy Couch
- Elymus repens - Couch grass
- Festuca ovina - Sheep's fescue
- Festuca rubra - Red Fescue - Creeping Red Fescue
- Festuca trachyphylla - Hard Fescue
- Festuca valesiaca - Wallis Fescue
- Helictotrichon pratense - Meadow Oat-grass
- Holcus lanatus - Yorkshire-fog
- Holcus mollis - Creeping Soft Grass
- Koeleria glauca - Blue hair grass
- Koeleria grandis - No English name
- Koeleria macrantha - Prairie Junegrass (USA) - Crested Hair grass (UK)
- Leymus arenarius - Lyme Grass
- Phalaris arundinacea - Reed Canary-grass
- Poa pratensis - Smooth Meadow-grass - Common Meadow-grass
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Genus: Subgenus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - ELACHISTA: Original Genus/Species Group Names Species Names: Genus Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Gelechioidea Elachistidae ELACHISTA Treitschke, 1833 Aphelosetia Stephens, 1834 Elachista (Aphelosetia) argentella (Clerck, 1759) - Elachista bifasciella Treitschke, 1833 - PHALAENA argentella Clerck 1759 = Phalaena argentella Clerck, 1759 = Elachista cygnipennella Hübner, 1796 = Tinea cygnipennella Hübner, 1796 = Tinea alabastrella Schrank, 1802 = Porrectaria cygnipennis Haworth, 1828 = Adela cygnella Treitschke, 1833 = Aphelosetia semialbella Stephens, 1834 = Elachista habeleri Traugott-Olsen, 1990 - ELACHISTA Treitschke, 1833-Genus = Biselachista Traugott-Olsen & Nielsen 1977 = Cosmiotes Clemens 1860 -- Icones insectorum rariorum cum nomibus eorum trivialibus, locique e C. Linnæi. - pp. [1-10], Tab. 1-16. Holmiæ: Title Page : pl.11, Fig.13 - Sweden |
