Matilella fusca
Encyclopedia
Pyla fusca is a snout moth of the subfamily Phycitinae
and inhabits the Holarctic
. It is distinct from the other species of the genus
Pyla, which are only found in North America
, and has been proposed for separation in a monotypic
genus Matilella. Considering the insufficient knowledge of Phycitinae
, this may be warranted, and eventually relatives of this specimes might be discovered in the Old World
, or it might turn out to be a cryptic species complex
. On the other hand, its separation might render Pyla paraphyletic, in which case it would not be warranted. More research is required to resolve this question.
The wingspan
is 25–28 mm. The moths are on wing from June to August depending on the location. The larvae feed on Erica
and Vaccinium
species.
Phycitinae
The Phycitinae are a subfamily of snout moths . Even though the Pyralidae subfamilies are all quite diverse, Phycitinae stand out even by standards of their family: with over 600 genera considered valid and more than 4000 species placed here at present, they unite up more than three-quarters of...
and inhabits the Holarctic
Holarctic
The Holarctic ecozone refers to the habitats found throughout the northern continents of the world as a whole. This region is divided into the Palearctic, consisting of Northern Africa and all of Eurasia, with the exception of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, and the Nearctic,...
. It is distinct from the other species of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Pyla, which are only found in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, and has been proposed for separation in a monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus Matilella. Considering the insufficient knowledge of Phycitinae
Phycitinae
The Phycitinae are a subfamily of snout moths . Even though the Pyralidae subfamilies are all quite diverse, Phycitinae stand out even by standards of their family: with over 600 genera considered valid and more than 4000 species placed here at present, they unite up more than three-quarters of...
, this may be warranted, and eventually relatives of this specimes might be discovered in the Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
, or it might turn out to be a cryptic species complex
Cryptic species complex
In biology, a cryptic species complex is a group of species which satisfy the biological definition of species—that is, they are reproductively isolated from each other—but whose morphology is very similar ....
. On the other hand, its separation might render Pyla paraphyletic, in which case it would not be warranted. More research is required to resolve this question.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 25–28 mm. The moths are on wing from June to August depending on the location. The larvae feed on Erica
Erica
Erica ,the heaths or heathers, is a genus of approximately 860 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. The English common names "heath" and "heather" are shared by some closely related genera of similar appearance....
and Vaccinium
Vaccinium
Vaccinium is a genus of shrubs or dwarf shrubs in the plant Family Ericaceae. The fruit of many species are eaten by humans and some are of commercial importance, including the cranberry, blueberry, bilberry or whortleberry, lingonberry or cowberry, and huckleberry...
species.