Wheeleria spilodactylus

Wheeleria spilodactylus (the horehound plume moth) is a moth of the family Pterophoridae, first described by John Curtis in 1827. It is found in South-Western and Central Europe and the Mediterranean, Asia Minor and North Africa. It has been introduced to Australia as a biocontrol agent for white horehound (Marrubium vulgare).[1]

Illustration from John Curtis's British Entomology Volume 6

Wheeleria spilodactylus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Pterophoridae
Tribe:
Pterophorini
Genus:
Wheeleria
Species:
W. spilodactylus
Binomial name
Wheeleria spilodactylus
Curtis, 1827
Synonyms
  • Pterophorus spilodactylus
  • Aciptilus confusus

The wingspan is 20–25 millimetres (0.79–0.98 in). Adults are on wing from July to September depending on the location.[2]

The difficult to see larvae feed on black horehound (Ballota nigra) and white horehound.

References
  1. "The release and establishment of two biological control agents of horehound (Marrubium vulgare L.) in south-eastern Australia". Weed information. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  2. Kimber, Ian. "Wheeleria spilodactylus (Curtis, 1827)". UKmoths. Retrieved 2 August 2020.


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