Micropterix mansuetella | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Micropterigidae |
Genus: | Micropterix |
Species: | M. mansuetella |
Binomial name | |
Micropterix mansuetella | |
Micropterix mansuetella is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae and can be found in Europe, in very wet woodlands, fens and carrs. The imago was described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1844, but the larva and pupa are poorly described.
This is a small moth with a forewing length of 3.4–3.9 millimetres (0.13–0.15 in) for males and 3.8–4.2 millimetres (0.15–0.17 in) for females. It is largely bronzy-gold in colour with some reddish and purple markings. The forewings have a costal spot near the wingbase, a fascia before middle not reaching the dorsum, and the posterior half of wing is deeper golden, often more or less purple-tinged. The hindwings are rather dark bronzy-grey, posteriorly purplish-tinged. Its most distinctive feature is the dark coloured tuft of hair on its head: in most other Micropterix species of the region this tuft is much paler. Like other members of the family, this species has functional jaws and it feeds as an adult on pollen grains, mainly from the flowers of sedges ( Carex species). It is single brooded, flying in April, May and June, during the day and has been known to come to light. This species is found primarily in freshwater wetlands.
The larvae feed on leaf-litter and the pupa are unknown. [3] [4]
M. mansuetella looks similar to M. tunbergella , but is less distinctly marked and has a black head, which distinguishes it from the other Micropterix . [3]
The moth was first described from a specimen found in Germany, by the German entomolgist, Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1844. Micropterix was raised by Jacob Hübner and the name comes from the small size of the adult; Mikros – ″little″ and pterux – ″a wing″. The specific part of the name mansuetella, is a Latinized form of Greek, meaning tame; from the docile behaviour of the female when feeding on pollen. [5]
Micropterix mansuetella is distributed throughout northern, eastern, central and western Europe (including Great Britain and Ireland). There are gaps in the distribution, including, Belgium, Czech Republic, Portugal and Spain. [1]
Micropterix is a genus of small primitive metallic moths, in the family Micropterigidae within the insect order Lepidoptera. The name was raised by the German entomologist, Jacob Hübner in 1825 and comes from the Greek for mikros, little and pterux, a wing. The moths are distributed across Europe, south to North Africa and east as far as Japan.
Dyseriocrania subpurpurella is a diurnal moth from the family Eriocraniidae, found in most of Europe. The moth was first named by the English entomologist, Adrian Hardy Haworth in 1828.
Eriocrania semipurpurella is a moth of the family Eriocraniidae, found from Europe to Japan and in North America. It was first described by James Francis Stephens in 1835. The species closely resembles Eriocrania sangii and the larvae of both species mine the leaves of birch.
Micropterix aureatella is a moth of the family Micropterigidae found in the Palearctic realm, except for North Africa.
Micropterix calthella, the marsh marigold moth, is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae. It is found in damp habitats throughout Europe and is also distributed eastwards to central Siberia. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1761 as Phalaena calthella.
Micropterix isobasella is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae. It has a restricted alpine distribution in southern Switzerland and northern Italy.
Micropterix aglaella is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae.It is found in southern France, south-western Switzerland and northern Italy.
Micropterix aruncella is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae, which is distributed throughout Europe. The imago was first described by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in 1763. This species is one of the best known members of the family, being found in a wide range of habitats from sea level to over 2,000 metres (6,600 ft); the only habitat not favoured by this species is dense woodland.
Eriocrania sangii, the large birch purple, is a moth of the family Eriocraniidae found in Europe and described by John Henry Wood in 1891. The moth can be found flying in sunshine around birch trees and the larvae feed on birch leaves.
Eriocrania unimaculella is a moth of the family Eriocraniidae found in Europe. It was first described by the Swedish naturalist Johan Wilhelm Zetterstedt in 1839. The larvae feed inside the leaves of birch, making a mine.
Eriocrania chrysolepidella is a moth of the family Eriocraniidae found in Europe. It was first described by the German entomologist, Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1851. The larvae mine the leaves of hazel and hornbeam.
Micropterix tunbergella is a moth of the family Micropterigidae found in most of Europe. The moths are very small and can be found feeding on the pollen of hawthorn, oak and sycamore. The larva and pupa are unknown. The moth was described Johan Christian Fabricius in 1787.
Micropterix allionella is a moth of the family Micropterigidae. It was described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1794.
Micropterix fenestrellensis is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae. It was described by John Heath and T. Kaltenbach in 1984. It is known from Italy.
Micropterix myrtetella is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae. It was described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1850. It is found in Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Ukraine.
Micropterix sicanella is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae that was described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1847. It is known from mainland Italy, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica.
Micropterigoidea is the superfamily of "mandibulate archaic moths", all placed in the single family Micropterigidae, containing currently about twenty living genera. They are considered the most primitive extant lineage of lepidoptera, and the sole superfamily in the suborder Zeugloptera. The name comes from the Greek for mikros, little and pterux, a wing. Unique among the Lepidoptera, these moths have chewing mouthparts rather than a proboscis, and are seen feeding, often in large aggregations, on the pollen of the flowers of many herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees. The fossil record of the group goes back to the middle-late Jurassic with the earliest known species being Auliepterix from the Karabastau Formation in Kazakhstan.
Coleophora pyrrhulipennella is a moth of the family Coleophoridae found in Europe. It was first described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1839.
Micropterix gaudiella is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae. It was described by Zeller and Huemer in 2015. It occurs in Italy.
Micropterix stuebneri is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae. It was described by Zeller, Werno and Kurz in 2013. It is only known from the Sierra Nevada in Spain.