''Udea ferrugalis'', the rusty dot pearl, is a

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 ...

of the family

Crambidae The Crambidae are the grass moth family of lepidopterans. They are variable in appearance, the nominal subfamily Crambinae (grass moths) taking up closely folded postures on grass stems where they are inconspicuous, while other subfamilies includ ...

. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1796.

Distribution

This species can be found in central and southern Europe,

Asia Minor Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and Japan.

Description

The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan o ...

is 18–22 mm. The forewings of these small moths have yellow, brown or ferruginous ground colour and prominent indistinct dark brown or blackish markings towards the edge. Hindwings are brownish grey. Legs are whitish.''Hantsmoths''
/ref> Caterpillars can reach a length of . They are greenish with yellowish head.G. Dorem

/ref>

Biology

These moths are

bivoltine Voltinism is a term used in biology to indicate the number of broods or generations of an organism in a year. The term is most often applied to insects, and is particularly in use in sericulture, where silkworm varieties vary in their voltinism. ...

or trivoltine. The moth flies through the year, but mainly in the autumn, depending on location. The larvae feed on various herbaceous plants, such as ''

Stachys ''Stachys'' is a genus of plants, one of the largest in the mint family Lamiaceae.Harley, R. M., et al. 2004. "Labiatae". pages 167–275. In: Kubitzki, K. (editor) and J. W. Kadereit (volume editor). ''The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants ...

'', ''

Arctium ''Arctium'' is a genus of biennial plants commonly known as burdock, family Asteraceae. Native to Europe and Asia, several species have been widely introduced worldwide. Burdock's clinging properties, in addition to providing an excellent mecha ...

'', ''

Lycopus ''Lycopus'' (water horehound, gypsywort, or bugleweed) is a genus in the family Lamiaceae. They are all herbaceous plants native to Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. The species are most often found in wetlands, damp meadows, and strea ...

'', ''

Mentha ''Mentha'' (also known as mint, from Greek , Linear B ''mi-ta'') is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae (mint family). The exact distinction between species is unclear; it is estimated that 13 to 24 species exist. Hybridization occurs nat ...

'', ''

Eupatorium cannabinum ''Eupatorium cannabinum'', commonly known as hemp-agrimony, or holy rope, is a herbaceous plant in the family Asteraceae. It is a robust Perennial plant, perennial native to many areas of Europe. The alkaloids may be present in the plant material ...

'' and '' Fragaria vesca''. They overwinter in the soil as a chrysalis. This species is sometimes considered a pest, as the larvae attack various crop plants.Alford, David V
''Pests of Fruit Crops: A Colour Handbook'', Second Edition
/ref>

References

External links

''BioLib''

''Lepiforum e. V.''
ferrugalis Moths of Africa Moths of the Comoros Moths of Europe Moths of Iceland Moths of Madagascar Moths of Mauritius Moths of Réunion Moths of Seychelles Moths of Asia Moths described in 1796 Taxa named by Jacob Hübner {{Udea-stub