''Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla'', also known as the twin-spot plume is a
moth of the
Pterophoroidea family found in North Africa, Asia and Europe. It was
first described by the
Austrian
physician and
naturalist,
Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in 1763. It is one of four similar looking moths.
Description
The
wingspan is 17–25 mm.
The moths fly from dusk, in two overlapping generations from March to October, depending on location.
They are also attracted to light.
;Similar species
This moth may be an aggregate of species with similar looking wings and is part of the ''Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla'' group of four species which all look similar. The other moths of this group are,
[
* small scabious plume ('']Stenoptilia annadactyla
''Stenoptilia annadactyla'', also known as the small scabious plume, is a moth of the family Pterophoridae. It was first described by Reinhard Sutter in 1988 and is found in Europe.
Description
The wingspan is 17–24 mm. Adults are on w ...
'')
* scarce plume (''Stenoptilia inopinata
''Stenoptilia aridus'' is a moth of the family Pterophoridae. It is found in the Mediterranean region and northern Africa and is a rare immigrant in more northern parts of Europe, including Belgium and Great Britain. It is also known from ...
'')
* Gregson's plume ('' Stenoptilia scabiodactylus'')
;Early stages
The larvae feed on devil's-bit scabious (''Succisa pratensis
''Succisa pratensis'', also known as devil's-bit or devil's-bit scabious, is a flowering plant in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae. It differs from other similar species in that it has four-lobed flowers, whereas small scabious and field s ...
''), common toadflax ('' Linaria vulgaris''), weasel's snout (''Misopates orontium
''Misopates orontium'', known as weasel's snout, is a herbaceous annual plant in the family Plantaginaceae. It is a native of disturbed ground in Europe. It is also naturalised as a weed in other parts of the world such as North America. The p ...
''), small scabious (''Scabiosa columbaria
''Scabiosa columbaria'', called the small scabious or dwarf pincushion flower, is a widespread species of flowering plant in the genus ''Scabiosa'', native to Europe, Africa, and western Asia, from Sweden to Angola. In the garden it is a short-li ...
'') and widow flower ('' Knautia'' species). There are differences in the early and intermediate larval instars which may be two different species or the variation may be due to diet, season or normal variation within the species. Larvae found on one foodplant can be reared on the other foodplant. They overwinter as an early instar. Spring generation larvae feed within a stem and some, later in a folded leaf, while the summer generation feed in the flowers.
Distribution
The twin-spot plume is found in Europe, Asia Minor, Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
, North Africa and Iran.Notes on the tribes Platyptiliini and Exelastini from Iran (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae)
References
External links
Microlepidoptera.nl
bipunctidactyla
Moths described in 1763
Plume moths of Africa
Plume moths of Asia
Plume moths of Europe
Taxa named by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli
{{Pterophoridae-stub