Jump to content

Adela cuprella

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Adela cuprella
Female
Male
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Adelidae
Genus: Adela
Species:
A. cuprella
Binomial name
Adela cuprella
Synonyms
  • Tinea cuprella Denis & Schiffermuller, 1775

Adela cuprella is a moth of the family Adelidae and are found in most of Europe. It was first described by Michael Denis & Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775 and the type locality is from Austria. They can be found flying around sallows (Salix) species during the day in April and May.

Description

[edit]

The wingspan is 14–17 mm.[1] The head in males is black, in female ferruginous, the face in females is hairy. Antennae in males are 2.5 [the length of the forewing], white, towards the base blackish ringed; in females 1.25 black and not thickened, towards apex white.The hindwings are purple-fuscous. [2] [3][4] [5]

Adults are active by day and are on wing from mid April to early May, flying around willows.[6]

Life cycle

[edit]

The moths are univoltine (i.e. one generation a year) and visit the flowers of sallows, usually high up. In some years, they can be numerous and in other years, scarce or absent. The females lay their eggs on the catkins of sallows.[6] The case is an elongate-oval shape with each half made of several, roughly crescentic pieces of dead sallow leaves. The larvae feed from May onwards and can overwinter two or three times. Pupation takes place within the case in March.[7]

Distribution

[edit]

It is found in most of Europe, except Portugal, Slovenia and most of the Balkan Peninsula.[8]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ microlepidoptera.nl Archived 1 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London pdf Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Keys and description
  3. ^ Langmaid, J. R., Palmer, S. M. & Young, M. R. [eds]. 2018 A Field Guide to the Smaller Moths of Great Britain and Ireland [3rd ed.]Reading, Berkshire. British Entomological and Natural History Society
  4. ^ lepiforum.de includes imagesPublic Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ^ Sterling, P. and Parsons,M. 2012 Field Guide to the Micro Moths of Great Britain and Ireland Dorset British Wildlife Publishing, 2012 ISBN 10: 0956490212 / ISBN 13: 9780956490216 - 2nd edition (Bloomsbury Wildlife Guides)
  6. ^ a b Emmet, A M (1983). Heath, John (ed.). The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. Volume 1. Colchester: Harley Books. pp. 296–7. ISBN 0-946589-15-1.
  7. ^ Emmet, A M, ed. (1988). A Field Guide To The Smaller British Lepidoptera (Second ed.). London: British Entomological and Natural History Society. p. 37. ISBN 0-9502891-6-7.
  8. ^ "Adela cuprella (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)". Fauna Europaea. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
[edit]