Sitochroa palealis

• Subfamily: Pyraustinae
• Wingspan: 26-36 mm
• Flight period: May - Sep
• Spread: Common
• Host plants: Apiaceae

Information

The Sitochroa palealis also called Carrot seed moth is a moth of the Crambidae family, subfamily Pyraustinae, with a wingspan of 26-36 mm.
In Europe it is widespread but absent from Ireland and Ukraine. In Italy it is also present in the islands. *
It is also present in Asia and North Africa. **
Recently introduced in the United States. The first specimen was reported in 2002, further specimens in 2011 - 2012. ***

The front wings of white / yellowish color, whose veins are more evidently traced with greenish sprinkles. they have a silky appearance that makes it recognizable, sometimes they have a more intense dusting in the median area, of a greenish / brown color, almost forming a stain.
The hind wings are white, silky, sometimes they too have silky dusting on the veins near the margin. All four wings are fringed in the background color of the wing
The head and thorax are yellowish white, the abdomen is white.

Typical of coastal areas it is an occasional migrant and is also visible in inland areas. Species with diurnal activity, it is attracted to artificial light.

The caterpillar is greenish yellow, more rarely pink, with a series of blak spots on each segment; a gray line is visible above. The head is yellowish with more or less intense black spots, as well as the prothoracic shield. The pupa envelope has an undefined shape covered with plant residues of the host plant. ****

The larvae feed on Apiaceae in particular on Daucus carota, Foeniculum vulgare, Heracleum, Laserpitium and Peucedanum.


* Lepidoptera mundi https://lepidoptera.eu/ - Fauna Europea https://fauna-eu.org/
** Patrice Leraut, Moths of Europe, Nicholas Flay (traduzione in inglese); Gilbert Hodebert (disegni), III (Zygaenids, Pyralids 1), 1ª edizione, Verrières-le-Buisson, N.A.P., 2012, pp. 218, tav. 65, figg. 20-21 e tav. 66, figg. 1-5,
*** First Report of the Adventive Species Sitochroa palealis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in Pennsylvania and its Attraction to the Sex Pheromone of the European Corn Borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
**** Bestimmungshilfe für die in Europa nachgewiesenen Schmetterlingsarten - http://lepiforum.de/