Loxostege commixtalis, the alfalfa webworm, is a species of moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Francis Walker in 1866. It is found in Fennoscandia, Estonia and northern Russia.[1] It is also found in North America, where it ranges from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador west to the Yukon.

Loxostege commixtalis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Crambidae
Genus: Loxostege
Species:
L. commixtalis
Binomial name
Loxostege commixtalis
(Walker, 1866)
Synonyms
  • Scopula commixtalis Walker, 1866
  • Botys septentrionalis Tengström, 1869
  • Crambus indotatellus Walker, 1866
Loxostege commixtalis

The wingspan is 20–26 millimetres (0.79–1.02 in). The forewings are extensively dusted with light bluish gray. The hindwings are gray.[2] Adults are on wing from June to July in North America and from May to July in Europe.

The larvae feed on various succulent plants, including sugar beet and alfalfa. They web together the leaves of their host plant. The larvae are greenish or blackish.

References edit

  1. ^ "Loxostege commixtalis (Walker, 1866)". Fauna Europaea. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  2. ^ Bird, C. D. (2008). "Species Details: Loxostege commixtalis". University of Alberta Museums. E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum. Retrieved December 27, 2020.