Prolita sexpunctella

Prolita sexpunctella, the long-horned flat-back or groundling, is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is found in most of Europe and North America.

Illustration from John Curtis's British Entomology Volume 6

Prolita sexpunctella
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Gelechiidae
Genus:
Prolita
Species:
P. sexpunctella
Binomial name
Prolita sexpunctella
(Fabricius, 1794)[1]
Synonyms
  • Tinea sexpunctella Fabricius, 1794
  • Tinea virgella Thunberg, 1794
  • Tinea histrionella Geyer, 1832
  • Lita zebrella Treitschke, 1833
  • Gelechia longicornella Doubleday, 1859
  • Gelechia longicornis var. alpicola Frey, 1867
  • Gelechia alternatella Kearfott, 1908
  • Gelechia petulans Braun, 1925
  • Gelechia longicornis Curtis, 1827
  • Gelechia virgella ab. melanica Strand, 1920
  • Lita longicornis (Curtis, 1827)
  • Anacampsis longicornis (Curtis, 1827)

The wingspan is 13–17 mm. Terminal joint of palpi as long as second. Forewings dark reddish -brown, suffused with dark fuscous towards base and termen in disc; five fasciae of white irroration, first basal, produced along dorsum,second at 1/4, curved, third central, fourth somewhat inwards.curved, fifth slender, terminal ; stigmata dark fuscous, first discal above plical. Hindwings slightly over 1, fuscous..[2]

Adults are on wing from May to June. They are day-flyers.

The larvae feed on the leaves of Calluna species (including Calluna vulgaris), Empetrum nigrum and Dryas octopetala. They spin the leaves together and overwintering within.

References
  1. Prolita at funet
  2. 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


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