Oxyptilus pilosellae

Oxyptilus pilosellae (hieracium plume moth) is a moth of the family Pterophoridae first described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1841. It is found in most of Europe, east to Russia and Asia Minor. It was released as a biological control agent for Hieracium in New Zealand in 1998.

Oxyptilus pilosellae
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pterophoridae
Genus: Oxyptilus
Species:
O. pilosellae
Binomial name
Oxyptilus pilosellae
(Zeller, 1841)
Synonyms[1]
  • Pterophorus pilosellae Zeller, 1841
  • Pterophorus pilosellae var. bohemanni Wallengren, 1862

Description

The wingspan is 15–24 mm. Adults are on wing from May to August in western Europe.

Young larvae feed within the roots of hawkweeds (Hieracium species), including mouse-ear hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella). Later instars feed on the flowerheads, beneath a silken web.[2]

References
  1. "Oxyptilus pilosellae (Zeller, 1841)". Fauna Europaea. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  2. Ellis, W N. "Oxyptilus pilosellae (Zeller, 1841) downland plume". Plant Parasites of Europe. Retrieved 14 July 2020.



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