''Metzneria paucipunctella'' 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 spotted knapweed seed head 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''). The adult moth is narrow-bodied and about 8 millimeters long. It is brownish-gray and lightly speckled. It has large recurved antennae. The female lays about 80 eggs, depositing each at the base of a

flower head A pseudanthium (Greek for "false flower"; ) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, compos ...

. In about ten days 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 ...

emerges and burrows into the flower head where it feeds on the developing seeds and florets. The larva is a small, plump white grub with a dark head and visible body segments. It overwinters inside the seed head and

pupa A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their ...

tes the following spring. This moth is native to Europe. It was first introduced as a biocontrol agent for knapweeds in the United States in 1980, and it is now established in much of the western United States. The larvae of this moth compete with other head-dwelling biocontrol agents; if they find the larvae of another species they attack and consume them. Nevertheless, knapweed control is better when the moth works in tandem with other insects.

References

* Coombs, E. M., et al., Eds. (2004). ''Biological Control of Invasive Plants in the United States''. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press, 218.

External links

Cornell Biocontrol Profile
Moths described in 1839 Metzneria Lepidoptera used as pest control agents Moths of Europe Moths of Asia {{Anomologinae-stub