Blastodacna hellerella
Encyclopedia
Blastodacna hellerella is a moth
in the Elachistidae
family. It is found in most of Europe
except the north. In the east, the range extends up to the Caucasus
.
The wingspan
is 10-13 mm. Adults are on wing from the May to August in one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Crataegus laevigata and Crataegus monogyna. There are also unconfirmed records for Prunus spinosa
, Prunus domestica
and Malus
. They feed on the fruit of their host plant. Larvae can be found from summer to fall. Pupation takes place in late fall in a cocoon under the soil.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
in the Elachistidae
Elachistidae
| image = Elachista rufocinerea 2.jpg| image_width = 240px| image_caption = Adult Elachista rufocinerea,demonstrating its tiny size versus an aphid and a spider mite | regnum = Animalia| phylum = Arthropoda| classis = Insecta...
family. It is found in most of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
except the north. In the east, the range extends up to the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 10-13 mm. Adults are on wing from the May to August in one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Crataegus laevigata and Crataegus monogyna. There are also unconfirmed records for Prunus spinosa
Prunus spinosa
Prunus spinosa is a species of Prunus native to Europe, western Asia, and locally in northwest Africa. It is also locally naturalised in New Zealand and eastern North America....
, Prunus domestica
Prunus domestica
Prunus domestica is a Prunus species with many varieties. These are often called "plums" in common English, though not all plums belong to this species. Its hybrid parentage is believed to be Prunus spinosa and Prunus cerasifera var. divaricata...
and Malus
Malus
Malus , the apples, are a genus of about 30–35 species of small deciduous trees or shrubs in the family Rosaceae. Other studies go as far as 55 species including the domesticated Orchard Apple, or Table apple as it was formerly called...
. They feed on the fruit of their host plant. Larvae can be found from summer to fall. Pupation takes place in late fall in a cocoon under the soil.