Biselachista contaminatella

• Subfamily: Elachistinae
• Wingspan: 07-09 mm
• Flight period: Jun - Jul (data to be confirmed)
• Spread: Uncommon
• Host plants: Carex distans

Information

The Contaminated Biselachist known until 2015 as Elachista contaminatella *** is a small moth of the Elachistidae family, with a wingspan of 07-09 mm.
In Europe it is present in Portugal, Spain, France, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Albania, Bulgaria and Russia *. In Italy it is also present in the islands. **

The front wings of the Biselachista contaminatella are of cream color with light and partial light brown dusting. An elongated ovoid spot of brown or tan color, it is visible in the anal area of ​​the disc region. A line of the same color starts from the middle of the costa, towards the inner corner, to stop in the middle area. A thin brown / light brown line runs along the margin, and is a distinctive of the species. The edge is fringed.
The hind wings are light gray, strongly fringed.

The larvae are monophagous and undermine the leaves of Carex distans.


* Lepidoptera mundi https://lepidoptera.eu/ - Fauna Europea https://fauna-eu.org/
** Parenti & Pizzolato (2015)
*** Revision of European Elachistidae. The genus Biselachista Traugott-Olsen & Nielsen, 1977, stat. rev. (Lepidoptera: Elachistidae) - U. Parenti (†) & F. Pizzolato - https://iris.unito.it/