Epiblema foenella

• Subfamily: Olethreutinae, Eucosmini
• Wingspan: 17-26 mm
• Flight period: May - Aug
• Spread: Common
• Host plants: Asteraceae

Information

The Epiblema foenella also called White-foot Bell is a moth of the Tortricidae family with a wingspan of 17-26 mm. It is quite common and is distributed throughout most of Europe, in fact it is absent from Portugal, Iralanda, Isalnda, Croatia and Ukraine. *
Its range extends to Asian Russia China ***, Mongolia, Korea, Japan, India, Taiwan and Vietnam. ****
In Italy it is absent from the islands. *

The front wings of Epiblema foenella are dark brown with a clear white sickle-shaped spot (the shape of the spot is very variable), which starts from the basal region to end in the postdiscal region (mid-dorsal). **

The costa is brown with lighter streaks (gray / white), clearly visible from the middle to the apex. A silvery gray square band, with some black points in line, is present in the submarginal region near the internal corner. The edge is fringed in the background color. The rear wing is brown in color, with a cream-colored rib, also fringed. **

The adults of this moth are visible in a single generation from May to August depending on the latitude. They fly from late afternoon onwards, they are attracted to artificial light. The species overwinters in the larva stage. It prefers uncultivated land, pastures, river banks, and coastal cliffs.

The larva is yellowish with a brown / reddish head and an amber prothoracic shield. **
The larvae feed on the roots and the lower part of the stem, where pupation occurs. **
The chrysalis is light brown. **

As mentioned, larvae feed on the roots and the lower part of the stem of Artemisia vulgaris (common mugwort), Artemisia absinthium (wormwood), of Artemisia abrotanum and Anthemis tinctoria.


* Lepidoptera mundi https://lepidoptera.eu/ - Fauna Europea https://fauna-eu.org/
** Bestimmungshilfe für die in Europa nachgewiesenen Schmetterlingsarten - http://lepiforum.de/
*** Zhang, A. H.; Li, H. H. Catalogue of Eucosmini from China (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
**** Pasquale Trematerra, 2010: Clepsis trifasciata sp. n. con note su alcuni Lepidotteri Tortricidi del Kirghizistan. Journal of Entomological and Acarological Research Serie II 42 (1)