Acanthopsyche atra

Acanthopsyche atra, the dusky sweep, is a moth of the family Psychidae. The habitat consists of heath and moorland.[1]

Acanthopsyche atra
Male Trawscoed, North Wales
Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Psychidae
Genus:
Acanthopsyche
Species:
A. atra
Binomial name
Acanthopsyche atra
(Linnaeus, 1767)
  • Phalaena (Bombyx) atra Linnaeus, 1767
  • Psyche stigmatella Zetterstedt, 1840
  • Psyche opacella Herrich-Schäffer, [1846]
  • Psyche fenella Newman, 1850
  • Psyche hyalinella Stephens, 1850
  • Oiketicus nigricans Westwood, 1854
  • Psyche hispidella Heylaerts, 1884
  • Bombyx hieracii Thunberg, 1792
  • Chalia furva Kirby, 1892
  • Acanthopsyche hirsutella Tutt, 1900

Description

The wingspan is 16–22 mm for males. Females are apterous (i.e. wingless) and have rudimentary antennae and legs. Pairing takes place with the female still in the pupal case and she does not usually leave the pupal case. Her body is yellowish and the head and thoracic segments are dark brown. The eyes are reduced to black spots.[2] Adults emerge in May and June, males flying in the late afternoon and evening.[3]

Eggs

Eggs are laid in the pupal skin in June or July and hatch within four to five weeks.[4]

Larvae

The larvae feed on grass (Poaceae species), low growing plants, heather (Calluna vulgaris) and sallows (Salix species). They live in a silk case, 17 to 20 mm long which is covered longitudinally with grass stems and heather fragments[a 1]. Larva feed from August to April, some are developed and pupate, while others continue to feed and overwinter for a second year before pupating. Numbers overwintering for a second year vary according to climate.[2][5]

Note
  1. The larval case of Pachythelia villosella looks similar but bigger (30 to 35 mm) and the fragments are larger.
Pupa

The case is fixed on a wall, rock or fence prior to pupation from April to early June and this is when it is most easily found.[3]

Ecology

Usually females lay their eggs in the pupal case. P L Jørgensen observed some females leaving their cases and dropping to the ground a few days after mating. The female, when free from its pupal case, looks and behaves like a fly maggot. Eleven were fed to a European robin (Erithacus rubecula) and its droppings collected over the next 24 hours. After two weeks, between thirty and forty larvae hatched, constructed cases and started to feed. The observation suggests that the eggs can survive unscathed inside a bird's gut, and is an example of species dispersal.[2][5]

Distribution

It is found in most of Europe, except Portugal, most of the Balkan Peninsula, Ireland and Ukraine.[6] It is considered rare in Great Britain.[5]

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gollark: Anyway, at some point I'll go over why I did and didn't write each of them.
gollark: I could calculate the probability of it using mathematics.
gollark: It's not gollark impersonation unless it's from certain regions of France, otherwise it's just sparkling apioform.
gollark: Technically, if I do it, it's not gollark impersonation.

References
  1. Hants Moths
  2. Hättenschwiler, P (1985). Heath, John; Emmet, A Maitland; Fletcher, D S; Pelham-Clinton, E C; Skinner, Bernard; Tremewan, W G (eds.). Psychidae. In The Moths And Butterflies Of Great Britain And Ireland. Volume 2. Colchester: Harley Books. pp. 146–8. ISBN 0 946589 19 4.
  3. Kimber, Ian. "11.016 BF191 Acanthopsyche atra (Linnaeus, 1767)". UKmoths. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  4. Emmet, A M, ed. (1988). A Field Guide To The Smaller British Lepidoptera (Second ed.). London: British Entomological and Natural History Society. p. 41. ISBN 0 9502891 6 7.
  5. Parsons, Mark (2012). Sterling, Phil (ed.). Field Guide to the Micro Moths of Great Britain and Ireland. Milton on Stour, Dorset: British Wildlife Publishing. pp. 67 & 70-1. ISBN 978 0 9564902 1 6.
  6. "Acanthopsyche atra (Linnaeus, 1767)". Fauna Europeae. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
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