Micropterix calthella

Micropterix calthella, the marsh marigold moth, is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae. It is found in damp habitats throughout Europe (except for the far south) and is also distributed eastwards to central Siberia.

Micropterix calthella
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Micropterigidae
Genus: Micropterix
Species:
M. calthella
Binomial name
Micropterix calthella
(Linnaeus, 1761)
Synonyms
  • Phalaena (Tinea) calthella Linnaeus, 1761
  • Tinea urticella Costa, 1834
  • Eriocephala sulcatella Bentley, 1845
  • Micropteryx silesiaca Toll, 1942
  • Tinea pusilella Hübner, 1813
  • Micropterix pusilella (Hübner, 1813)

Description

Pupae are brown with dark oculi and paler abdominal segments.[1] Adults are small, with a forewing length of up to 4.6 millimetres (0.18 in) and a wingspan of 8–10 millimetres (0.31–0.39 in).[2] The species is more plainly marked than many other European species of Micropterix, and has dark bronze-coloured forewings with distinctive purple bases. The hindwings are rather dark bronzy-grey. The head is deep ferruginous-yellow.

Behaviour

Like other members of the family, Micropterix calthella has functional jaws in its imaginal stage. As adult, it feeds on pollen grains from a wide variety of plants such as Acer, Ajuga, Caltha, Cardamine, Carex, Crataegus, Mercurialis and Ranunculus.

  • Lissan House, Cookstown, Northern Ireland; feeding on pollen of Ranunculus repens.
  • Illustration from John Curtis's British Entomology Volume 6

References
  1. Patočka, Jan; Turčáni, Marek (2005). Lepidoptera pupae: Central European species. Text volume. Apollo Books. p. 30. ISBN 87-88757-47-1.
  2. "Micropterix calthella". UK Moths. Retrieved 9 June 2019.

Further reading
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