Scirpophaga praelata

• Subfamily: Schoenobiinae
• Wingspan: 28-32 mm
• Flight period: Mar - Sep
• Spread: Uncommon
• Host plants: Cyperaceae, Juncaceae

Information

The Scirpophaga praelata is a moth of the Crambidae family, subfamily Schoenobiinae, with a wingspan of 28-32 mm.
In Europe it is absent from Ireland, Great Britain, Portugal, Benelux, Germany, Scandinavian Peninsula, Estonia, Latvia and Russia. In Italy it is absent from the islands. *
Turkey, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, North Africa, Japan, Taiwan, China and Australia are also present. **
In Africa it is also present in Sudan and Mozambique ***.

The front wings are white, with a silky appearance and have a very slight yellowish hue, barely perceptible in the basal region, not present in the hind wings. The hind wings are white, translucent. All wings are fringed in the base color.
The head, chest and abdomen are also white. Characteristic of this species is the terminal area of ​​the abdomen which ends in a sharp and square way.

The Scirpophaga praelata is an uncommon species, adults can be seen where the host plant is present from late March to September ****. The larvae pierce the stems of the host plant in which they feed, and within them they transform into pupa.

The larvae feed on Cyperaceae Scirpus sp. and Juncaceae Juncus sp .. *****


* Lepidoptera mundi https://lepidoptera.eu/ - Fauna Europea https://fauna-eu.org/
** Savela, Markku. " Scirpophaga praelata (Scopoli, 1763)" . Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms . Retrieved March 3, 2018 .
*** http://www.afromoths.net
**** https://www.gbif.org
***** http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au