| Argyresthia conjugella | |
|---|---|
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| Argyresthia conjugella form aerariella, Trawscoed, North Wales | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Argyresthiidae |
| Genus: | Argyresthia |
| Species: | A. conjugella |
| Binomial name | |
| Argyresthia conjugella Zeller, 1839 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Argyresthia conjugella, the apple fruit moth, is a moth of the family Yponomeutidae. It is found in Europe, [1] [2] Siberia, Central Asia, Japan, and North America. [3]
The wingspan is 10–14 mm. The head is yellowish-white. Forewings are rather dark purplish-fuscous; costa strigulated with whitish; a thick white dorsal streak to tornus; an interrupted dark fuscous median fascia; one or two white costal spots before apex. Hindwings are grey. The larva is dull whitish yellow; head and plate of 2 pale brown. [4] [5]
Adults are on wing from May to July depending on the location. The larvae feed on Sorbus aucuparia and Malus species. [2]
The apple fruit moth, is seen to be a parasite for the apple growing communities in Finland, Norway, and Sweden. These moths are seed predators for the mountain-ash trees rowan. [6] However, when there is a dip in the fruit produced by rowan every couple years in this region, the apple fruit moth finds a new host in the form of apples. Apples are not their desired host however and they communicate with the rowan seeds they prefer through odors. [7]
