Micropterigidae
Micropterix aruncella
MICROPTERIX aruncella (Scopoli, 1763)
Micropterix aruncella
MICROPTERIX aruncella (Scopoli, 1763)
Life Cycle Guide - Adult Only
Description
Wingspan: 6-8mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - excluding (Azores,Balearic Is.,Bulgaria,Canary Is.,Crete,Cyprus,Madeira,Malta,Portugal & Sicily)
UK Distribution: Common throughout the British Isles
UK Conservation Status -
Copiosa in paniculis, Actæ, Arunci (Lights in the panicle, ACTA, Arunci)
Flight Period: End April - August
Habitat: Downland : Dry Grassland : Woodland
Similar Species -
Observations: The moth has a golden head with golden bronze forewings with the costal side of the base being purple. With the male only there are white median cross lines and a white dot or dash near the costa towards the apex. The female is unmarked.
With the similar species M calthella the purple base markings is along the costa and the dorsum.
The moth is very active during the day with the specimens below being found at Stockbride Down beside a path on small Laurel bushes where they flitted from one leaf to another.
The moth has also known to be attracted to light.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - excluding (Azores,Balearic Is.,Bulgaria,Canary Is.,Crete,Cyprus,Madeira,Malta,Portugal & Sicily)
UK Distribution: Common throughout the British Isles
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = > 300 10km squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena aruncella (Scopoli, 1763)
- Tinea podevinella Hübner,1813
Copiosa in paniculis, Actæ, Arunci (Lights in the panicle, ACTA, Arunci)
Flight Period: End April - August
Habitat: Downland : Dry Grassland : Woodland
Similar Species -
- Micropterix calthella (Linnaeus, 1761)
Observations: The moth has a golden head with golden bronze forewings with the costal side of the base being purple. With the male only there are white median cross lines and a white dot or dash near the costa towards the apex. The female is unmarked.
With the similar species M calthella the purple base markings is along the costa and the dorsum.
The moth is very active during the day with the specimens below being found at Stockbride Down beside a path on small Laurel bushes where they flitted from one leaf to another.
The moth has also known to be attracted to light.
Photo Gallery
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Larvae are believed to feed on detritus found at the base of herbacious plants
Larvae are believed to feed on detritus found at the base of herbacious plants
Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species MICROPTERIX: Original Species Name: Species Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Micropterigoidea Micropterigidae MICROPTERIX Hübner,[1825] Micropterix aruncella (Scopoli, 1763) - Tinea podevinella Hübner,1813 - PHALAENA aruncella (Scopoli, 1763) = Eriocephala atricapilla Wocke, 1877 = Lampronia concinnella Stephens, 1834 = Micropteryx eximiella Zeller, 1850 = Tinea mucidella Hübner, 1817 = Micropteryx nuraghella Amsel, 1936 = Tinea podevinella Hübner, [1813 = Tinea seppella Fabricius 1777 - Entomologia Carniolica exhibens insecta Carnioliæ indigena et distributa in ordines, genera, species, varietates. Methodo Linnæana. - pp. [1-35], 1-420, [1]. Vindobonae. (Trattner) : Title Page : p.246 - n.628 - Copiosa in paniculis, Actæ, Arunci (Lights in the panicle, ACTA, Arunci) |