Mompha ochraceella

Mompha ochraceella
Illustration from John Curtis's British Entomology Volume 6
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Momphidae
Genus:	Mompha
Species:	M. ochraceella
Binomial name
Mompha ochraceella (Curtis, 1839) [1]
Synonyms
Laverna ochraceellaCurtis, 1839

Mompha ochraceella is a moth of the family Momphidae found in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Description

The wingspan is 14–16 mm. The head is whitish-yellow ochreous. Forewings are yellow, suffusedly and irregularly irrorated with pale ferruginous; three darker scale-tufts above dorsum. Hindwings are whitish-yellowish. The larva is pale yellowish head pale brown. ^[2] Mompha lacteella q.v. and Mompha propinquella are very similar. ^[3]

Adults are on wing from May to August. ^[4]

The larvae feed on willowherbs ( Epilobium species), including great willowherb ( Epilobium hirsutum ). ^[5]

Distribution

It is found in most of Europe, ranging (in the south) to Morocco and Asia Minor. In the east, the range extends to the Caucasus and Iran.

References

1. "Mompha (Mompha) ochraceella (Curtis, 1839)". Fauna Europaea. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
2. Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London pdf This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain . Keys and description
3. Koster, J.C. & Sinev, S.Yu., 2003. Momphidae, Batrachedridae, Stathmopodidae, Agonoxe nidae, Cosmopterigidae, Chrysopeleiidae. - In P. Huemer, 0. Karsholt and L. Lyneborg (eds): Microlepidoptera of Europe 5: 1-387. ISBN 87-88757-66-8 ISSN 1395-9506
4. Kimber, Ian. "40.002 BF886 Mompha ochraceella (Curtis, 1839)". UKmoths. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
5. Ellis, W N. "Mompha ochraceella (Curtis, 1839) buff mompha". Plant Parasites of Europe. Retrieved 25 April 2020.