The testaceous white-back (''Coleophora albicosta'') is a
moth of the family
Coleophoridae. It is found in most of western Europe.
The
wingspan is about 14 mm. Head pale ochreous, sides whitish. Antennae white, ringed with fuscous, basal joint ochreous-tinged, with rough spreading scales. Forewings light ochreous-yellowish, sprinkled with light fuscous, especially towards costa ; a white costal streak from base to near apex ; a white line in disc from before middle to termen, one along fold, and one along dorsum to apex. Hindwings grey.
[Meyrick, E., 1895 ''A Handbook of British Lepidoptera'' MacMillan, Londo]
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Keys and description
Adults are on wing from June to July. They fly by day, but also sometimes come to light at night.
The larvae feed on ''
Ulex europaeus'', at first on green seeds inside a seedpod. It then lives in a detached sepal rolled into a case, which it attaches to the side of a seedpod and bores in to feed on the seeds. Finally, it diapauses full-fed in a silk case in a dead flower and pupates in the overwintering case.
Gallery
Image:Britishentomologyvolume6Plate687.jpg, Illustration from John Curtis's ''British Entomology
''British Entomology'' is a classic work of entomology by John Curtis, FLS. It is subtitled ''Being Illustrations and Descriptions of the Genera of Insects found in Great Britain and Ireland: Containing Coloured Figures from Nature of the Most ...
'' Volume 6
Image:Coleophora albicosta larva.JPG, Larva
Image:Coleophora_albicosta_pod_of_Ulex_europaeus_with_two_larval_cases_attached.JPG, Pod of '' Ulex europaeus'' with two larval cases attached
References
External links
UKmoths
albicosta
Moths described in 1828
Moths of Europe
Taxa named by Adrian Hardy Haworth
{{Coleophoridae-stub