Stenoptilodes antirrhina
Encyclopedia
The Snapdragon Plume Moth (Stenoptilodes antirrhina) is a moth
of the Pterophoridae family. It is known from California
, but also greenhouses in the south-eastern United States
that have received cuttings of snapdragon from California.
The wingspan
is 15-25 mm.
The larvae feed on Antirrhinum
species (including Antirrhinum majus
), as well as Pelargonium x hortorum. Young larvae mine
the leaves and later burrow into the stem, petioles, flowers or seed pods. The development to a full-grown larva takes 3-5 weeks. The species overwinters as an adult.
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...
of the Pterophoridae family. It is known from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, but also greenhouses in the south-eastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that have received cuttings of snapdragon from California.
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 15-25 mm.
The larvae feed on Antirrhinum
Antirrhinum
Antirrhinum is a genus of plants commonly known as snapdragons from the flowers' fancied resemblance to the face of a dragon that opens and closes its mouth when laterally squeezed...
species (including Antirrhinum majus
Antirrhinum majus
Antirrhinum majus is a species of plants belonging to the genus Antirrhinum...
), as well as Pelargonium x hortorum. Young larvae 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 and later burrow into the stem, petioles, flowers or seed pods. The development to a full-grown larva takes 3-5 weeks. The species overwinters as an adult.