Scythris inspersella, the Norfolk owlet, is a moth of the family Scythrididae, first described by the German entomologist Jacob Hübner in 1817. It has a Holarctic distribution.[2]

Scythris inspersella
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Scythrididae
Genus: Scythris
Species:
S. inspersella
Binomial name
Scythris inspersella
(Hübner, 1817) [1]
Synonyms
List
    • Tinea inspersella Hübner, [1817]
    • Gelechia aterrimella Walker, 1864
    • Scythris hypotricha de Joannis, 1920
    • Scythris epilobiella McDunnough, 1942

Description edit

The wingspan is 13–15 mm. The forewings are black with blueish-white scales. The hindwings are dark ochreous brown.[3] Adults are on wing from July to August, flying during the day, visiting flowers.[4]

The larvae feed (usually gregariously) on rosebay willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium), broad-leaved willowherb (Epilobium montanum) and great willowherb (Epilobium hirsutum). They spin the terminal shoots of their host plant together.[5] Larvae can be found in June and July.

Distribution edit

The moth is found in Asia, Europe and North America. In Great Britain it was first found at Hockwold, Norfolk in 1977, although not identified until 1980. It has since been found elsewhere in Norfolk, Yorkshire (2001) and Tunstall Common, Suffolk.[4]

References edit

  1. ^ "Scythris inspersella (Hübner, 1817)". Fauna Europaea. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  2. ^ Savela, Markku. "Scythris Hübner, [1825]". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Microlepidoptera.nl". Archived from the original on 2013-12-14. Retrieved 2013-12-10.
  4. ^ a b "Scythris inspersella Norfolk Owlet". Norfolk Moths. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  5. ^ Kimber, Ian. "43.008 BF920a Scythris inspersella (Hübner, [1817])". UKmoths. Retrieved 26 May 2020.

External links edit