Platyptilia tesseradactyla

Platyptilia tesseradactyla is a moth of the family Pterophoridae found in Asia, Europe and North America. It was first described by the Swedish taxonomist, Carl Linnaeus in 1761.

Platyptilia tesseradactyla
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pterophoridae
Genus: Platyptilia
Species:
P. tesseradactyla
Binomial name
Platyptilia tesseradactyla
(Linnaeus, 1761) [1]
Synonyms
  • Phalaena Alucita tesseradactyla Linnaeus, 1761
  • Pterophorus fischeri Zeller, 1841
  • Platyptilia hibemica Tutt, 1906

Description

The wingspan is 17–20 mm.[2] Single brooded flying in May and June, they live in discrete colonies and are easily disturbed during the day. They also fly in the evening. Their habitat is limestone grassland and pavements.[3]

Larvae feed internally in the stems of their food plant, where it also hibernates. In the following spring larvae feed externally, spinning shoots together and feeding on the new growth. Food plants include mountain everlasting (Antennaria dioica), cudweeds (Gnaphalium species) and dwarf everlast (Helichrysum arenarium).[4]

Distribution

Found in northern and central Europe, east to Russia. In Norway it is found up to 70° northern latitude. It is also found in the United States and Canada and has been recorded from Iran.[5][6] In Ireland it was first found in Galway, but is largely restricted to The Burren region of County Clare.[2]

References
  1. "Platyptilia tesseradactyla (Linnaeus, 1761)". Fauna Europaea. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  2. Kimber, Ian. "Platyptilia tesseradactyla (Linnaeus, 1761)". UKmoths. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  3. Stirling, Phil; Parsons, Mark; Lewington, Richard (2012). Field Guide to the Micro Moths of Great Britain and Ireland. Gillingham, Dorset: British Wildlife. p. 186. ISBN 978 0 9564902 1 6.
  4. Ellis, W N. "Platyptilia tesseradactyla (Linnaeus, 1761) irish plume". Plant Parasites of Europe. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  5. Notes on the tribes Platyptiliini and Exelastini from Iran (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae) Archived 2012-09-24 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Species Platyptilia tesseradactyla - Hodges#6106". BugGuide. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
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