Anerastia lotella

• Subfamily: Phycitinae, Anerastiini
• Wingspan: 19-27 mm
• Flight period: Jun - Jul
• Spread: Uncommon
• Host plants: Poaceae

Information

The Anerastia lotella is a moth of the Pyralidae family, with a wingspan of 19-27 mm.
It is found in most of Europe, with the exception of Slovenia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Iceland. *
Its range extends to Asia Minor, up to the region between Transoxiana and Xinjiang, and has also been recorded in Canada. ***
In Italy it is absent from the Sardinia. *

The front wings of Anerastia lotella are ocher / brown with brown / black dusting not always present. characteristics are the white streaks that sometimes join in a single light band at the costa and that continues to the apex. Some faded marks on the veins and on the inner edge of the wing are of the same color.
The hind wings are white, with a silky appearance, with fringed edges.

This moth flies from June to July in and adults can be attracted to artificial light.
The Anerastia lotella is a mainly coastal species, but which, if in the presence of suitable habitats, consisting of sandy soils and dunes, can also be found inside.
The larvae build a silk tunnel around the base of the stem and roots of their host plant. They are found mainly in May and June and the species is thought to overwinter at this stage.
Pupation takes place in a silk cocoon in the ground near the food plant.

The caterpillar is yellowish in color with a dark head. **, ****

The larvae feed on Ammophila arenaria, Corynephorus canescens, Festuca ovina and other Poaceae ***.


* Lepidoptera mundi https://lepidoptera.eu/ - Fauna Europea https://fauna-eu.org/
** Bestimmungshilfe für die in Europa nachgewiesenen Schmetterlingsarten - http://lepiforum.de/ -
*** "Taxonomy Browser: Anerastia lotella" - http://www.boldsystems.org/index.php/Taxbrowser_Taxonpage?taxid=123051
**** BARRETT (1905: pl. 431 fig. 4d)