| Pterolonche inspersa | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Pterolonchidae |
| Genus: | Pterolonche |
| Species: | P. inspersa |
| Binomial name | |
| Pterolonche inspersa Staudinger, 1859 | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
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Pterolonche inspersa, sometimes called the brown-winged knapweed root moth, [2] is a small moth of the family Pterolonchidae. [1] [3] [4]
The type specimen was collected in Chiclana de la Frontera, Andalucia, Spain. Pterolonche benesignata was described from Lower Egypt by Hans Rebel in 1914. [1] The taxon P. gracilis, described by Rebel in 1916 from Crete, was synonymised to this species by Antonio Vives Moreno in 1987. In the same publication Vives placed it in his new subgenus Pterolonche. [4]
The wingspan is about 20 mm, the body length is about 7 mm. Adults are light-brown without distinct markings. [2]
The eggs are oval and black. [2]
Pterolonche inspersa is found in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece, Crete, Turkey, Egypt and Morocco. [1] [3] [4] It has been found throughout most of Spain and Portugal. [4] Introduced populations have been recorded as established in Idaho (United States) and British Columbia (Canada). [2]
In Spain there are usually two generations per year. [4] There is one generation per year in introduced populations in the northwestern United States. Adults, the imagoes, have a lifespan of only 15 to 20 days. In the US the imagoes emerge from their cocoons in June to early September. One or a small group of eggs are laid on the lower surface of the base leaves of the rosette of the host plant. [2]
The larvae feed on Centaurea species, including C. diffusa and C. maculosa. They tunnel into the root crown of their host plant and feed on the root tissue. As they reach the root cortex, they spin a silken tube and feed from within the tube. Mature larvae overwinter in the roots. In spring, a silken tube is made above the soil surface in which pupation takes place. The silken tube studded plants can be recognized as infested in the spring. The roots become spongy and plant rosettes are easily pulled from the ground. [2]
P. inspersa larvae are known to eat the larvae of the bronze knapweed root beetle, Sphenoptera jugoslavica . [2]
It was released as a biological control agent for knapweed, Centaurea species, in Colorado, Montana, and Oregon in 1986, [5] or 1988. [2] Although there was no establishment of the species in the United States initially, [5] as of 2011 it was recorded as established in Idaho and British Columbia (Canada), ten years after introduction of the species. [2]
Centaurea is a genus of over 700 species of herbaceous thistle-like flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Members of the genus are found only north of the equator, mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere; the Middle East and surrounding regions are particularly species-rich. In the western United States, yellow starthistles are an invasive species. Around the year 1850, seeds from the plant had arrived to the state of California. It is believed that those seeds came from South America.
Centaurea diffusa, also known as diffuse knapweed, white knapweed or tumble knapweed, is a member of the genus Centaurea in the family Asteraceae. This species is common throughout western North America but is not actually native to the North American continent, but to the eastern Mediterranean.
Pterolonchidae is a small family of very small moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea. There are species native to every continent except Australia and Antarctica.
Agapeta zoegana is a species of moth known as the sulphur knapweed moth and the yellow-winged knapweed root moth. It is used as an agent of biological pest control against noxious knapweeds, particularly spotted knapweed and diffuse knapweed.
Cyphocleonus achates is a species of true weevil known as the knapweed root weevil. It is native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean and is used as an agent of biological pest control against noxious knapweeds, especially spotted knapweed. It has recently been spotted in India.
Metzneria paucipunctella is a species of moth known as the spotted knapweed seed head moth. It is used as an agent of biological pest control against noxious knapweeds, particularly spotted knapweed.
Sparganothis pilleriana, also known as the vine leafroller tortrix, is a moth of the family Tortricidae found in the Palearctic realm. It was first described by the Austrian lepidopterists Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775.
Pelochrista medullana, the brown-winged root moth, is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is native to central Europe, Turkey, southern Russia, Iran and China (Xinjiang). In North America, it has been introduced to Idaho, Montana, Oregon and British Columbia. Introduction in the United States was approved in 1984.
Aroga velocella is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is found in most of Europe, except for Ireland, Iceland and Croatia. Outside of Europe, it is found in Turkey, the Caucasus and Siberia (Transbaikalia).
Jordanita notata is a moth of the family Zygaenidae. It is found from the Iberian Peninsula and central Europe, through the northern part of the Mediterranean region to the Caucasus and Transcaucasia.
Coleophora conspicuella is a moth of the family Coleophoridae found in Asia and Europe. It was first described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1849.
Coleophora paripennella is a moth of the family Coleophoridae. It is found in most of Europe, except the Iberian Peninsula and Balkan Peninsula.
Bradyrrhoa gilveolella is a species of moth of the family Pyralidae. It was described by Georg Friedrich Treitschke in 1833. It is found in Greece, Sicily, Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, southern Russia, from Kazakhstan to Ukraine and south to central Iran.
Agonopterix pallorella is a moth of the family Depressariidae. It is found in most of Europe.
Agonopterix subpropinquella is a moth of the family Depressariidae. It is found in most of Europe.
Agonopterix kaekeritziana is a moth of the family Depressariidae. It is found in most of Europe east to the Near East and the eastern part of the Palearctic realm.
Bryotropha dryadella is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is found in Great Britain, France, Portugal, Spain, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Italy, Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, Crete and Algeria.
Metzneria aprilella, the brilliant neb, is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is widely distributed throughout Europe. Outside of Europe, it is found in Turkey, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Iran and southern Siberia. The habitat consists of waste ground and grassland.
Eana argentana is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in Great Britain, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, North Macedonia, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Baltic region and Russia. It is also present in western North America, where it has been recorded from Alaska, Alberta, Arizona, British Columbia, California, Maine, Montana, New Mexico, Washington and Wyoming. The habitat consists of high-elevation open habitats.
Pterolonche is small genus of small moths of the family Pterolonchidae.
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