Azalea moth
This article has been registered in the quality assurance biology for improvement due to formal or content-related deficiencies . This is done in order to bring the quality of the biology articles to an acceptable level. Please help improve this article! Articles that are not significantly improved can be deleted if necessary.
Read the more detailed information in the minimum requirements for biology articles .
| Azalea moth | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Azalea moth ( Caloptilia azaleella ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Caloptilia azaleella | ||||||||||||
| ( Brants , 1913) |
The azalea moth ( Caloptilia azaleella ) is a species from the family of leaf miners (Gracillariidae) that is found worldwide . Originally from Japan , it has spread all over the world as a neozoon . It can become particularly common in greenhouses and appear as a pest .
description
The moths reach a wingspan of 10 to 11 millimeters. They have dark brown forewings, on which there is a yellow band on the wing leading edge. The adults fly in several generations a year and are attracted by artificial light sources.
Reproduction
The moths lay their eggs individually or in small groups on the underside of azalea leaves , usually directly on the leaf veins. The caterpillars live as miners and first eat a passage in the leaves, later a blistered space. The older caterpillars begin to roll up the leaf edge downwards and gnaw the leaf surface in this role. In this role, pupation also occurs within a cocoon .
Web links
- Lepiforum e. V. Taxonomy and Photos
- Caloptilia azaleella at Fauna Europaea
- Ian Kimber: Guide to the moths of Great Britain and Ireland (English)