Apple blossom tineid | |
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Faded adult specimen | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Argyresthiidae |
Genus: | Argyresthia |
Species: | A. curvella |
Binomial name | |
Argyresthia curvella (Linnaeus, 1761) | |
Synonyms | |
See text |
Argyresthia curvella is a species of ermine moth (family Yponomeutidae). It belongs to subfamily Argyresthiinae, which is sometimes elevated to full family rank in the superfamily Yponomeutoidea. It is commonly called apple blossom tineid, reflecting the fact that it was originally believed to be a tineid moth (family Tinieidae). [1]
This small moth is widespread in northwestern Eurasia. It is absent from Iberia and probably the entire Balkans, and generally ranges southwards only to the northern Mediterranean region; a possibly isolated population occurs in the Caucasus region. Where it occurs, it is usually not rare and may be abundant. The nocturnal adults are attracted to light sources; they are on the wing around June/July or somewhat later, depending on the location. [2] [3]
The wingspan of adults is 10–12 mm. As usual for Yponomeutidae, the forewings have a bold black-and-white pattern, which fades easily in museum specimens though. The pattern consists of a thick oblique black line running from the center of the forewings' dorsal margin to somewhat nearer the apex on the costal margin. From the apex, a thinner and often somewhat irregular black band extends to meet the first one. The remaining areas of the forewings are generously sprinkled with small black blotches. The hindwings are pale greyish, as is the body. The caterpillars feed on Malus (apple) trees, where they eat the blossoms; it has also been suspected that they eat rotting apple wood at least occasionally. They may become a pest in apple orchards, if they occur in abundance. [4]
Invalid scientific names (junior synonyms and others) of the apple blossom tineid are: [1]
The species has been confused with the somewhat similar and fairly closely related hawthorn moth (Scythropia crataegella) – the actual species described as Tinea cornella by J.C. Fabricius in 1775 – even in recent times. [5]
The willow beauty is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is a common species of Europe and adjacent regions. While it is found widely throughout Scandinavian countries, which have a maritime climate, it is absent from parts of the former USSR which are at the same latitude but have a more continental climate.
The white-shouldered house moth is a species of gelechioid moth. It belongs to the subfamily Oecophorinae of the concealer moth family (Oecophoridae), just like the brown house moth. Though several presumed congeners of E. sarcitrella were described, its genus Endrosis is currently understood to be monotypic.
Argyresthia pruniella, the cherry fruit moth or cherry blossom tineid, is a moth from the family Yponomeutidae, the ermine moths.
Argyresthia is a genus of moths in the family Argyresthiidae, previously treated as subfamily Argyresthiinae in the family Yponomeutidae.
Lomographa bimaculata, the white-pinion spotted, is a species of geometer moth. It belongs to the large geometer moth subfamily Ennominae, and therein to the tribe Baptini. It is – under its junior synonym – the type species of its genus Lomographa. It is also the type species of Bapta, a junior objective synonym of Lomographa and the namesake of the Baptini. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius ion 1775.
Orthonama obstipata, the gem, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1794. It is a cosmopolitan species. In continental Europe though in the northeast, its range does not significantly extend beyond the Baltic region and it is absent from northern Russia. This well-flying species is prone to vagrancy and able to cross considerable distances of open sea; it can thus be regularly found on the British Isles and even on Iceland.
Scythropia crataegella, the hawthorn moth, is a species of moth in the family Plutellidae from western Eurasia. It is usually placed in a small subfamily Scythropiinae, which is sometimes included in the Yponomeutinae of the Yponomeutidae.
Craniophora ligustri, the coronet, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. It is found in Europe, through the Palearctic to Japan.
Monopis obviella is a species of tineoid moth. It belongs to the fungus moth family (Tineidae), and therein to the nominate subfamily Tineinae. It is the type species of Blabophanes, today treated as a junior synonym of the genus Monopis. M. crocicapitella was only separated from the present species in 1859, and is still frequently confused with it even by rather recent sources.
Nemapogon granella is a species of tineoid moth. It belongs to the fungus moth family (Tineidae), and therein to the subfamily Nemapogoninae. It is the type species of its genus Nemapogon, and via that also of the subfamily Nemapogoninae. It is also the type species of the proposed genera Brosis and Diaphthirusa, which are consequently junior objective synonyms of Nemapogon.
Triaxomera parasitella is a species of tineoid moth. It belongs to the fungus moth family (Tineidae), and therein to the subfamily Nemapogoninae. It is widespread and common in much of western Eurasia, but seems to be absent from some more outlying regions, such as Portugal and the eastern Baltic, Ireland and Iceland. It has also not been recorded from Slovenia but given that it is found in neighboring countries, it may well occur there unnoticed. Recently, the species was recorded from British Columbia. Generally, it is a moth of warm temperate regions, e.g. in Great Britain it is only a rare and scarce species from the English Midlands northwards.
Tinea semifulvella is a species of tineoid moth. It belongs to the fungus moth family (Tineidae), and therein to the nominate subfamily Tineinae. It is widespread and common in much of the western Palearctic, but seems to be absent from Portugal and the Balkans as well as the outlying islands. The nocturnal adults are on the wing around May to September, depending on the location, and are easily attracted to light sources.
The brown-dotted clothes moth is a species of tineoid moth. It belongs to the fungus moth family (Tineidae), and therein to the nominate subfamily Tineinae. It is the type species of its genus Niditinea.
Nemapogon cloacella, the cork moth, is a species of tineoid moth. It belongs to the fungus moth family (Tineidae), and therein to the subfamily Nemapogoninae. Its junior synonym N. infimella was established by G.H. Heydenreich in the 1851 volume of his Lepidopterorum Europaeorum Catalogus Methodicus, but many sources still attribute it to G.A.W. Herrich-Schäffer, who supposedly narrowly beat Heidenreich in (re)describing the species. But as it seems, Herrich-Schäffer was merely one of the first to use the name proposed by Heydenreich, as the volume of his Systematische Bearbeitung der Schmetterlinge von Europa where he discussed the cork moth was not published until 1853 or 1854. That all nonwithstanding, the species had been already validly described by A.H. Haworth in the 1828 volume of Lepidoptera Britannica.
Oecophora bractella is a species of gelechioid moth. It belongs to the subfamily Oecophorinae of the concealer moth family (Oecophoridae). As the type species of its genus Oecophora, its affiliations and phylogeny determine the delimitation of that family and subfamily.
Pseudatemelia flavifrontella is a species of gelechioid moths.
Nemaxera is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the subfamily Nemapogoninae. The genus is considered monotypic, with the single species Nemaxera betulinella placed here.
Monopis laevigella, the skin moth, is a species of tineoid moth. It belongs to the fungus moth family (Tineidae), and therein to the nominate subfamily Tineinae. It is the type species of the genus Monopis and its junior objective synonym Hyalospila. As with the common clothes moth, earlier authors frequently misapplied the name Tinea vestianella to the present species.
Tinea trinotella is a species of tineoid moth. It belongs to the fungus moth family (Tineidae), and therein to the nominate subfamily Tineinae. It was once used as type species of a distinct genus Acedes, but this is synonymized today with Tinea, the type genus of Tineinae, Tineidae and the superfamily Tineoidea.