Mompha (Mompha) epilobiella

• Subfamily:
• Wingspan: 10-13 mm
• Flight period: Lug - Aug
• Spread: Uncommon
• Host plants: Onagraceae

Information

The Mompha epilobiella is a moth of the Momphidae family with a wingspan of 10-13 mm.
Distributed in almost all of Europe, with the exception of Slovenia *
In Italy it is absent from Sardinia. * Its range also extends to North America.

The front wing of the Mompha epilobiella has a cream color, with intense ocher, hazelnut or brown dusting. Two brown / black spots are visible near the inner margin. The coast also has shades of the same color more intense in the basal region. Like many members of this family, it has a series of raised scales.
The wings are strongly fringed, especially near the inner corner.

The hind wings are dark gray and they too are strongly fringed.
It has long, arched, cream-colored palps with a small brown band near it of the apex. The head and thorax are cream in color, the abdomen is brown in color.

The egg is green in color, with a knurled oval; The caterpillar is yellowish in color with a series of small lateral dark spots on each segment and with a black prothoracic head and shield. The chrysalis is black with greenish hues and ocher marks on the abdominal segments. **

The larvae are oligophages and feed on Onagraceae, in particular on Epiilobium, such as Epilobium angustifolium, Epilobium hirsutum, Epilobium montanum and Epilobium palustre.


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