Mompha lacteella
Encyclopedia
Mompha lacteella is a moth
in the Momphidae
family. It is found in most of Europe
, except the southern parts of the continent. In the east, the range extends through Asia Minor
, the Caucasus
, eastern Transcaucasia and southern Sibiria
to the Russian Far East
.
The wingspan
is 11-13 mm. Adults are on wing from June to the beginning of May.
The larvae feed on Epilobium hirsutum
and Epilobium montanum
. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a large full depth blotch in the lower leaves. Most frass
is deposited in coarse grains. The larva may leave the mine and restart elsewhere. Pupation takes place inside the mine or in the ground. Larvae can be found from March to April. They are yellowish pink to purple brown with a black head.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
in the Momphidae
Momphidae
Momphidae is a family of moths. These tend to be rather small moths with a wingspan of up to 21 mm. The wings are held folded over the body at rest...
family. It is found in most of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, except the southern parts of the continent. In the east, the range extends through Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
, the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
, eastern Transcaucasia and southern Sibiria
Sibiria
Sibiria is a Swedish indie pop band from Östersund, signed by the record label Hybris. Founded in 2003 by guitarist Martin Abrahamsson , singer Martin Hanberg and guitarist Erik Laquist...
to the Russian Far East
Russian Far East
Russian Far East is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i.e., extreme east parts of Russia, between Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia and the Pacific Ocean...
.
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 11-13 mm. Adults are on wing from June to the beginning of May.
The larvae feed on Epilobium hirsutum
Epilobium hirsutum
Epilobium hirsutum is a flowering plant belonging to the willowherb genus Epilobium in the family Onagraceae. It is commonly known as the great willowherb, great hairy willowherb or hairy willowherb. Local names include codlins-and-cream, apple-pie and cherry-pie.It is a tall, perennial plant,...
and Epilobium montanum
Epilobium montanum
Epilobium montanum or Broad-leaved Willowherb is a species of willowherb....
. They mine
Leaf miner
Leaf miner is a term used to describe the larvae of many different species of insect which live in and eat the leaf tissue of plants. The vast majority of leaf-mining insects are moths , sawflies and flies , though some beetles and wasps also exhibit this behavior.Like Woodboring beetles, leaf...
the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a large full depth blotch in the lower leaves. Most frass
Frass
Frass is the fine powdery material phytophagous insects pass as waste after digesting plant parts. It causes plants to excrete chitinase due to high chitin levels, it is a natural bloom stimulant, and has high nutrient levels. Frass is known to have abundant amoeba, beneficial bacteria, and fungi...
is deposited in coarse grains. The larva may leave the mine and restart elsewhere. Pupation takes place inside the mine or in the ground. Larvae can be found from March to April. They are yellowish pink to purple brown with a black head.