''Cauchas rufimitrella'' is a diurnal
lepidopteran from the family
Adelidae
The Adelidae or fairy longhorn moths are a family of monotrysian moths in the lepidopteran infraorder Heteroneura. The family was first described by Charles Théophile Bruand d'Uzelle in 1851. Most species have at least partially metallic pa ...
, the fairy long horn moths. It is found in almost all of Europe, except
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
,
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
and the southern part of the
Balkan Peninsula.
The wingspan of the moth ranges from 10 to 12 millimeters. The thick erect hairs on the head vertex are black, more or less ferruginous-mixed above. Antennae in male 2, in female 1.5, black, tip whitish. Forewings shining brassy bronze, sometimes partly or wholly coppery or metallic red purple. Hindwings dark purplish fuscous.
[Meyrick, E., 1895 ''A Handbook of British Lepidoptera'' MacMillan, Londo]
pdf
Keys and description The flight time is May to June.
Caterpillars live on the seeds of ''
Cardamine pratensis
''Cardamine pratensis'', the cuckoo flower, lady's smock, mayflower, or milkmaids, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is a perennial herb native throughout most of Europe and Western Asia. The specific name ''pratensis'' is Latin ...
'' and then they pupate over the winter.
Gallery
Image:Cauchas rufimitrella-02 (xndr).jpg
Image:Cauchas_rufimitrella.jpg
File:Adela rufimitrella Mating pair(14035720755).jpg, Mating pair
File:Cauchas rufimitrella larva.JPG, Larva
File:Cauchas rufimitrella a sprig of Cardamine pratensis.JPG, A sprig of ''Cardamine pratensis''
File:Cauchas rufimitrella larval case.JPG, Larval case
References
External links
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Adelidae
Moths described in 1763
Moths of Europe
Moths of Asia
Taxa named by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli
{{Adelidae-stub