Megalophanes viciella
Encyclopedia
Megalophanes viciella is a moth
of the Psychidae family. It is found in most of Europe
, except most of northern Europe, the Mediterranean and Great Britain
. It is also found in Western Asia and Japan
.
There is strong sexual dimorphism
in the adults. Males have a wingspan of 18-22 mm, females reach a length of 9-11 mm and are wingless. Adults are on wing from June to July.
The larvae feed on various plants, including Vicia
, Rumex
, Scirpus
, Calluna vulgaris, Betula pubescens, Stachys palustris
and Vaccinium uliginosum
.
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...
of the Psychidae 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 most of northern Europe, the Mediterranean and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. It is also found in Western Asia and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
There is strong sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
in the adults. Males have a wingspan of 18-22 mm, females reach a length of 9-11 mm and are wingless. Adults are on wing from June to July.
The larvae feed on various plants, including Vicia
Vicia
Vicia is a genus of about 140 species of flowering plants commonly known as vetches. It is in the legume family . Member species are native to Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Africa. Some other genera of their subfamily Faboideae also have names containing "vetch", for example the...
, Rumex
Rumex
The docks and sorrels, genus Rumex L., are a genus of about 200 species of annual, biennial and perennial herbs in the buckwheat family Polygonaceae....
, Scirpus
Scirpus
The plant genus Scirpus consists of a large number of aquatic, grass-like species in the family Cyperaceae , many with the common names club-rush or bulrush . Other common names are deergrass or grassweed.The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, and grows in wetlands and moist soil...
, Calluna vulgaris, Betula pubescens, Stachys palustris
Stachys palustris
Stachys palustris, commonly known as Marsh Woundwort or Marsh Hedgenettle, is an edible perennial grassland herb growing to 80 centimeters tall. It is native to parts of Eurasia.-External links:**...
and Vaccinium uliginosum
Vaccinium uliginosum
Vaccinium uliginosum is a flowering plant in the genus Vaccinium.-Distribution:Vaccinium uliginosum is native to cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, at low altitudes in the Arctic, and at high altitudes south to the Pyrenees, the Alps, and the Caucasus in Europe, the mountains of...
.