Laspeyria flexula

• Subfamily: Boletobiinae, Aventiini
• Wingspan: 23-27 mm
• Flight period: May - Sep
• Spread: Common
• Host plants: Lichenes

Information

Laspeyria flexula is a moth of the Erebidae family, Boletobiinae subfamily, with a wingspan of 23-27 mm.
Visible throughout Europe, it is absent from Portugal and Ireland, in Italy it is absent from the islands. *
Some recordings have been made in the eastern parts of Asia.

The front wings of typical shape for the species, vary in the background color, from light brown to brown with reddish-brown shades and a blue-purplish spot near the apex. Two lines, usually yellowish, faded on the sides of brown, cross the wing longitudinally. Two dark spots, almost black, are visible in the disc region near the costa. In the dark forms these two spots are surrounded by a lighter spot.
A thin clear line runs along the lightly fringed edge. The hind wings, the same color as the anterior one, with a single yellowish line, which, when the moth is at rest it joins visually, to one of the two lines of the front wings.

Moths fly from one to three generations (depending on location) from late May to September . With only one generation in mountain ranges or more northern latitudes. The peak of visible adults is usually in July. It occupies woods, parks, gardens and orchards.

Adults are in flight from mid-June to mid-August in one generation.The egg is round, yellow. The larva is ash gray, very hairy, with a black head. The pupa is stubby, dark brown in color, located in a dense hairy cocoon. Moths fly over wet meadows and are attracted to artificial light at night.

The gray-green larvae feed on lichen that grow on the bark of a variety of deciduous and coniferous trees.





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