Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Pterophoridae Scientific name Oxyptilus pilosellae | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Oxyptilus Rank Species | |
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Similar Buckleria paludum, Geina didactyla, Hellinsia tephradactyla, Oxyptilus chrysodactyla, Platyptilia calodactyla | ||
The hieracium plume moth (Oxyptilus pilosellae) is a moth of the Pterophoridae family. It is found in almost all of Europe, east to Russia and Asia Minor. It was released as a biological control agent for Hieracium in New Zealand in 1998.
The wingspan is 15–24 mm. Adults are on wing from May to August in western Europe.
Young larvae feed within the roots of Hieracium species, including Hieracium pilosella. Later instars feed on the flowerheads, beneath a silken web.
References
Oxyptilus pilosellae Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA