''Agapeta zoegana'' is a species of

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

known as the sulphur knapweed moth and the yellow-winged knapweed root moth. It is used as an agent of

biological pest control Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also invo ...

against noxious

knapweeds ''Centaurea'' () is a genus of over 700 species of herbaceous thistle-like flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Members of the genus are found only north of the equator, mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere; the Middle East and surrounding reg ...

, particularly

spotted knapweed ''Centaurea stoebe'', the spotted knapweed or panicled knapweed, is a species of ''Centaurea'' native to eastern Europe, although it has spread to North America, where it is considered an invasive species. It forms a tumbleweed, helping to increa ...

(''Centaurea maculosa'') and

diffuse knapweed ''Centaurea diffusa'', also known as diffuse knapweed, white knapweed or tumble knapweed, is a member of the genus ''Centaurea'' in the family Asteraceae. This species is common throughout western North America but is not actually native to the ...

(''Centaurea diffusa''). The adult moth is bright

yellow Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In the R ...

with areas of brown on its wings. It is about 11 millimeters long. Meyrick describes it -The forewing with costa moderately arched; bright yellow or yellowish-ferruginous ; costal edge, a small subdorsal spot before middle, and a large terminal blotch with angulated edge including a spot of ground-colour ferruginous-fuscous. Hindwings are dark grey. Julius von Kennel provides a full description.

Julius von Kennel Julius von Kennel (10 June 1854 – 24 January 1939) was a German zoologist and entomologist born in Schwegenheim. He studied at the University of Würzburg, where he came under the influence of zoologist Karl Semper (1832-1893). Later, h ...

, 1921, ''The Palaearktischen Tortriciden, eine monographische Darstellung''. Stuttgart: E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung. 742 pp. -

Palaearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is the largest of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth. It stretches across all of Eurasia north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. The realm consists of several bioregions: the Euro-Sibe ...

Tortricidae The Tortricidae are a family of moths, commonly known as tortrix moths or leafroller moths, in the order Lepidoptera. This large family has over 11,000 species described, and is the sole member of the superfamily Tortricoidea, although the genu ...

, a monograp
pdf at Zobodat
323 The adult lives for only a few days, during which time the female lays eggs on stems and leaves. The

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

, a root miner, moves to the root of the plant and tunnels through the cortex as it feeds. This causes moderate damage to the plant. This moth is native to Eurasia. It was introduced to the western and west-central

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

starting in the 1980s and it is now established in

knapweed ''Centaurea'' () is a genus of over 700 species of herbaceous thistle-like flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Members of the genus are found only north of the equator, mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere; the Middle East and surrounding reg ...

populations. It reduces the spread of the plants in areas where mechanical and chemical control is not practical. It lives on spotted and diffuse knapweed and has not been found to damage other plants. Flight is from May to August from dusk, and is attracted to light.

References

*Coombs, E. M., et al., Eds. (2004). ''Biological Control of Invasive Plants in the United States''. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press, 207.

External links

UKmothsLepiforum.de
Cochylini Insects used for control of invasive plants Lepidoptera used as pest control agents Moths of Europe Moths of Asia Moths described in 1767 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Cochylini-stub