Brachmia blandella

• Subfamily: Dichomeridinae
• Wingspan: 10-15 mm
• Flight period: Jun - Ago
• Spread: Common
• Host plants: Ulex europaeus

Information

The Brachmia blandella is a moth from the Gelechiidae family, with a wingspan of 10-15 mm.
In Europe it is absent from Ireland, Luxembourg, Croatia and Slovenia. In Italy it is present From Sardinia. *

The front wings of Brachmia blandella have an ocher background color with light brown and brown marks and streaks. Three points of black brown color with a slight clear border, one is visible in the discal region of the anal area, another in the discal region of the cubital area and the last in the postdiscal region of the cubital area.
The edge of the wing is yellowish white, with a brown-brown submarginal band. From the inner corner, an undefined band of brown color crosses the wing diagonally to the center of the costa, where it darkens to a brown color. From the center of the costa another undefined brown band crosses the wing diagonally up to the inner margin in the middle of the basal region where it darkens to a brown color. The costa is ocher in color with altering areas of brown color. **

The hind wings are translucent white, with a slightly elongated appendage at the apex, strongly fringed.
The palps, long ocher in color with a small dark band just before the apex. Head, thorax are ocher in color, abdomen is brownish in color.

The Brachmia blandella is univoltine it is mainly crepuscular, during the day it can be noticed when disturbed by the large broom bushes. The larvae and pupae are visible in the months of May and June.

The habitats occupied are the same as the host plant as edges of woods and heaths but present especially along the sea coasts. This moth is attracted to artificial lights. The species overwinters at the larva stage in a light spinning on the gorse and it re-emerges in early June feeding before pupation.

The larvae of this moth feed on Ulex europaeus (gorse).


* Lepidoptera mundi https://lepidoptera.eu/ - Fauna Europea https://fauna-eu.org/
** Bestimmungshilfe für die in Europa nachgewiesenen Schmetterlingsarten - http://lepiforum.de/