- Alucita hexadactyla
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Twenty-plume Moth 
Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Lepidoptera Family: Alucitidae Genus: Alucita Species: A. hexadactyla Binomial name Alucita hexadactyla
Linnaeus, 1758Synonyms Orneodes hexadactyla (Linnaeus, 1758)
Phalaena hexadactyla Linnaeus, 1758
Phalaena (Alucita) hexadactyla Linnaeus, 1758The Twenty-plume Moth (Alucita hexadactyla) is a "micromoth" of the many-plumed moth family (Alucitidae). It is found in Europe and has been introduced into North America.
Feeding trace of caterpillar
The wingspan is 14–16 mm. Unlike a typical moth, which has two pairs of scaly wings, Alucita has about twenty thin feathery plumes (with scales on the supporting ribs). It perches with the wings outspread like a fan. The wings have a bold zigzag pattern in white, black and brown, which together with the shiny backward-pointing hairs on each plume make the adult moth distinctive.
The moth is also popularly known as the Many-plumed Moth, [1] while the specific name hexadactyla comes from the Greek for six-fingered. [2]
The moth flies the whole year depending on the location. It is common and often found in gardens, but is readily overlooked because of its small size.
The caterpillar larvae feed on honeysuckle (Lonicera). They are leaf miners, tunnelling inside the leaves of the food plant to avoid predators.
References
- ^ Michael Chinery. Collins Complete Guide to British Insects. HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. 2005. ISBN 978-0-00-729899-0. Page 270.
- ^ Photography Obsession. Twenty-plume Moth. http://www.photographyobsession.co.uk/gallery3/nature/animals/invertebrates/arthropods/insects/butterfies-moths/alucita-hexadactyla
External links
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