Kingdom Animalia Family Pterolonchidae Genus Pterolonche Order Butterflies and moths | Class Insecta Phylum Arthropoda Rank Species | |
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Similar Metzneria paucipunctella, Bangasternus fausti, Butterflies and moths, Larinus obtusus, Urophora affinis | ||
The Brown-winged knapweed Root Moth (Pterolonche inspersa) is a moth of the Pterolonchidae family. It is found in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Sardinia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece and Crete. It was released as a biological control agent for knapweed in Colorado, Montana, and Oregon and 1986, but there is no known establishment in the United States.
The wingspan is about 20 mm. Adults are light-brown without distinct markings. There is one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Centaurea species, including Centaurea diffusa. They tunnel into the root crown of their host plant and feed on the root tissue. As they reach the root cortex, they spin a silken tube and feed from within the tube. Mature larvae overwinter in the roots. In spring, a silken tube is made above the soil surface in which pupation takes place.