Emmelina monodactyla

(Linnaeus, 1758)

  • Subfamily: Pterophorinae
  • Wingspan: 18-27 mm
  • Flight period: May - Sep
  • Spread: Common
  • Host plants: Convolvulaceae

Information

The Emmelina monodactyla also called T-Moth or Morning-glory Plume Moth is a moth of the Pterophoridae family, with a wingspan of 18- 27 mm.
It is found throughout Europe, including Iceland *
Cosmopolitan moth, its range extends to Central Asia as far as Japan, North Africa and North America. ***
In Italy it is also present in the islands. *

Like most of the Pterophoridae , the wings of the Emmelina monodactyla are also divided into laminae, but this detail can be very difficult to see, as the moth, when at rest, has tightly rolled wings.
The wing color is usually variable brown / gray with brown dusting, but darker or almost white colors fall within the variability of the species.

The front wing splits about 2/3 of the length into two fringed laminae, with a dark dusting at the division point. The rear wing is divided into three narrow laminae of brown color, strongly fringed.
Head and thorax are in the background color of the wings, the pale colored abdomen has a longitudinal dorsal stripe with brown streaks along the median line.

The Emmelina monodactyla is a bivoltine moth, it reproduces in two superimposed generations, from the end of May to September; despite this, adults can be observed already in the first months of the year until late November.

The eggs are white / greenish yellow with a slightly elongated ovoid shape.
The larvae are greenish yellow with a large green dorsal band, and a discontinuous yellow line along its center. Some specimens have ruby ​​red markings on the back. ****
The color of the pupae can vary from green to reddish brown, sometimes with black spots. **, ****

The larvae are oligophages and feed on Convolvulaceae, in particular on Calystegia sepium, soldanella; Convolvulus althaeoides, avensis, cantabrica, floridus and Ipomoea batatas. *****


* Lepidoptera mundi https://lepidoptera.eu/ - Fauna Europea https://fauna-eu.org/
** Bestimmungshilfe für die in Europa nachgewiesenen Schmetterlingsarten - http://lepiforum.de/
*** Mindat.org - https://www.mindat.org/taxon-1859046.html
**** Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London - https://archive.org/details/handbookofbritis00meyr/page/n7/mode/2up
***** Plant Parasites of Europe, leafminers, galls and fungi - https://bladmineerders.nl/

Emmelina monodactyla
Emmelina monodactyla
Emmelina monodactyla
Emmelina monodactyla
Emmelina monodactyla
Emmelina monodactyla
Emmelina monodactyla
Emmelina monodactyla
Emmelina monodactyla
Emmelina monodactyla
Emmelina monodactyla
Emmelina monodactyla
Emmelina monodactyla
Emmelina monodactyla
Emmelina monodactyla
Emmelina monodactyla
Emmelina monodactyla