Oncocera semirubella

• Subfamily: Phycitinae, Phycitini
• Wingspan: 26-30 mm
• Flight period: May - Sep
• Spread: Common
• Host plants: Fabaceae

Information

The Oncocera semirubella is a moth of the Pyralidae family, with a wingspan of 26-30 mm.
In Europe it is very widespread, it is absent only from Iceland, and from Ukraine. *
Its range extends to the Asian continent as far as Japan. *** In Italy it is also present in the islands. *

The front wings of the Oncocera semirubella are yellow in color, from the anal area to the median area, from the median area to the costa is of an intense pink color. Often on the costa there is a yellowish white beams. The intensity of the colors becomes less intense near the termen.

The rear wing is yellowish white with brown dusting along the veins and on the edge, very slight pink shades are often visible.
It has long, upward-facing palps that are yellow and pink in color. Head, thorax and abdomen are yellow. The antennae are about half the length of the front wing. **

Adults fly from May to September. The Oncocera semirubella prefers sunny and dry places with herbs. They rest during the day on plants, but are easy to trace as they are easily disturbed. They fly at sunset, and are attracted to artificial light.

It overwinters at the larva stage, in fact the caterpillars can be found from August to June of the following year. They live in tubular passages of a weave woven with leaves.
They preferably feed on flowers, rarely on plant leaves. Nymphosis occurs in a cocoon, mostly on the food plant.

The eggs are initially white, flattened and knurled, then some red / pink marks form on them. **
The caterpillars are green and have dark longitudinal lines, the head and prothoracic shield are black, They have small black tubercles and sparse white hairs. **
The chrysalis is amber brown in color with green shades in the central area. The Cremaster has a brown color and some filiform appendages emerge. **

Food plants are different Fabaceae such as Medicago sativa (alfalfa), Lotus corniculatus, Trifolium sp., (Clover), Ononis arvensis and Ononis spinosa.


* Lepidoptera mundi https://lepidoptera.eu/ - Fauna Europea https://fauna-eu.org/
** Bestimmungshilfe für die in Europa nachgewiesenen Schmetterlingsarten - http://lepiforum.de/ -
*** アカマダラメイガ Oncocera semirubella (Scopoli, 1763)". An Identification Guide of Japanese Moths Compiled by Everyone.