Diasemia reticularis

• Subfamily: Spilomelinae
• Wingspan: 17-22 mm
• Flight period: May - Sep
• Spread: Common
• Host plants: Asteraceae, Plantaginaceae

Information

The Diasemia reticularis is a moth of the Crambidae family, subfamily Spilomelinae, with a wingspan of 17-22 mm.
In Europe it is encountered practically everywhere with the exception of Ireland, Luxembourg and Ukraine. In Italy it is absent from the islands. *

Diasemia reticularis has a hazelnut or brown base color with a lattice of lighter lines that create a marbled effect. In particular, a white line is clearly visible in the post discal region; a trinagular ocher-colored band, with one side adjacent to the costa, it has the apex in the basal region, and the base on the white line mentioned above.
The hind wings are very similar to the front ones, the clear postmedian lines on these wings are a distinctive feature of this species.
All wings are fringed with a brown and white checkered pattern.
The head is brown; the chest is brown with some tufts of ocher hair on the sides, the abdomen is brown with thin white lines.

Typical of the tropical areas it is not unusual to meet it in Europe, up to the North Sea region due to ts migratory habits. Adults can be found all year round depending on the latitude. In subtropical and temperate regions they are rare outside the warm months, in particular in Europe they flies from May to September.

The larvae feed on Asteraceae such as Cichorium intybus, Hieracium, Picris sp. and Plantaginaceae such as Plantago sp..


* Lepidoptera mundi https://lepidoptera.eu/ - Fauna Europea https://fauna-eu.org/