Celypha striana

• Subfamily: Olethreutinae, Olethreutini
• Wingspan: 16-22 mm
• Flight period: May - Sep
• Spread: Common
• Host plants: Taraxacum officinale, Plantago lanceolata

Information

The Celypha striana is a moth of the Tortricidae family with a wingspan of 16-22 mm. It is distributed throughout Europe with the exception of Portugal, Croatia and Ukraine. *
Its range extends to the eastern part of the Palearctic ecozone, except the extreme north and northern Asia. *
In Italy it is present also in the islands. *

The coloring of this species is variable. The most common form of Celypha striana has the light brown or reddish-brown mixed with pale gray, with a network of darker lines covering the entire wing.
Well-defined median band of hazelnut color. A band of the same color, not always defined, with a curvilinear course towards the post-discal region, it starts from the apex and ends near the inner corner. **

The costa is in the basic color with hazelnut streaks. The margin is delimited by a hazelnut colored line.
The hind wings are gray / brownish in color. All wings are fringed.

It can be confused with the Celypha rosaceana , it is distinguished from the latter thanks to the darker color of the median band very evident in the anterior wing.
Celypha striana can be found in open green spaces. Visible from sunset, from May to late September; it is normally attracted to artificial light.

The caterpillars feed on the rhizomes of the host plant from September to May, as do the caterpillars of the second generation in July.

The body of the larvae ranges from yellowish white to gray with a yellow head and a dark brown prothoracic shield, sometimes light brown. ***

The larvae feed on dandelion Taraxacum officinalis (dandelion) and Plantago lanceolata (plantain) in the root zone. ****


* Lepidoptera mundi https://lepidoptera.eu/ - Fauna Europea https://fauna-eu.org/
** Bestimmungshilfe für die in Europa nachgewiesenen Schmetterlingsarten - http://lepiforum.de/
*** (Swatschek, 1958a; Bentinck & Diakonoff, 1968a).
**** (Razowski, 2003a).