''Prays citri'', the citrus blossom moth or citrus young fruit borer, 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

Praydidae Praydidae is a family of false ermine moths in the superfamily Yponomeutoidea. Though once considered a subfamily (Praydinae), a 2013 molecular analysis elevated it to family rank. Genera *''Atemelia'' Herrich-Schäffer, 1853 *''Dictyoprays'' J. ...

. It is found in

Southern Europe Southern Europe is the southern region of Europe. It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is essentially marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of Southern Europe include some or all of these countries and regions: Alba ...

. There are reports of ''D. citri'' in other regions, but these are likely to be misidentifications of other ''Prays'' species: ''P. endocarpa'' in the Indian subcontinent and southeast Asia, ''P. endolemma'' in the Philippines and ''P. nepholemima'' in Borneo and Australasia.Prays citri (citrus flower moth)
Retrieved 2022-06-01. The adult moth is dull grey with a

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 ...

of 10–12 mm. The larvae feed on ''

Citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...

'' species, preferably '' Citrus limonum'', '' Citrus decumana'' and less ''

Citrus aurantium Bitter orange, Seville orange, bigarade orange, or marmalade orange is the citrus tree ''Citrus'' × ''aurantium'' and its fruit. It is native to Southeast Asia and has been spread by humans to many parts of the world. It is probably a cross bet ...

'', and are considered an agricultural pest. Eggs are laid on flowers and young fruits, larvae hatching from these and then boring into the plants.

References

Plutellidae Moths of Africa Moths of Europe Insects of Zimbabwe Moths of Réunion Moths of the Middle East Moths described in 1873 {{Yponomeutoidea-stub