Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Gelechiidae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Metzneria | |
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Similar Monochroa, Aristotelia, Bryotropha, Bryotropha affinis, Aristotelia ericinella | ||
Metzneria lappella, the burdock seedhead moth or burdock seed moth, is a moth of the Gelechiidae family. It is widely distributed throughout the Palaearctic region, northwards to the Polar Circle. It is an introduced species in North America, where it is found from Maine and Quebec to Florida, west to Ontario and Missouri. The habitat consist of fields, roadsides and waste places.
The wingspan is 13–19 mm. The forewings are yellow with dull brown streaks. There is no definite pattern, but the brown colour is heaviest along the costa near the middle. Adults are on wing in June and July in the north and from April to August in the south. There is one generation per year.
The larvae feed on the developing seeds of Arctium species, including Arctium lappa and Arctium minus. The larvae have a translucent whitish body and a brown ochre head. Larvae can be found in late summer, fall, and spring. The species overwinters in the larval stage. Pupation takes place in the seedhead.