Biselachista utonella

• Subfamily: Elachistinae
• Wingspan: 08-09 mm
• Flight period: Jun - Aug
• Spread: Uncommon
• Host plants: Carex sp.

Information

The Biselachista utonella is a small moth of the Elachistidae family, with a wingspan of 08-09 mm.
In Europe it is present above all in central-northern Europe in fact it was absent from the Iberian peninsula, from Slovenia, from the Balkan peninsula (excluding Greece) from Ukraine and Belarus. In Italy it is absent from the islands. *

The front wings of the Biselachista utonella are gray / brownish in color with metallic reflections. A white band, sometimes triangular with the vertex in the basal region and the base in the post discal region crosses the wing longitudinally. In the center of this band an elongated brown / black spot is clearly visible. A clear elongated spot is visible on the apex, one in the sub-apical area, and a rounded spot on the tornus. The hind wings are strongly fringed gray.

Uni or bivoltine depending on the latitude frequents humid soils, such as peat bogs and moors with acid soil. It is a leaf miner and the tunnels created by the larvae are visible from March to May. The pupation takes place outside the mine. **
Adults fly from June to the end of August. The larvae are yellowish green sometimes gray with a black head. Ninfosis takes place outside the mine. It is not clear at what stage they overwinter.

The larvae feed on Carex acutiformis, Carex brizoides, Carex distans, Carex disticha, Carex echinata, Carex elata, Carex Flacca, Carex hirta, Carex muricata, Carex paniculata, Carex remote, Carex riparia, Carex spicata, Carex vesicaria, Festuca, Juncus gerardii and Scirus sylvaticus.


* Lepidoptera mundi https://lepidoptera.eu/ - Fauna Europea https://fauna-eu.org/
** Plant Parasites of Europe leafminers, galls and fungi - https://bladmineerders.nl/