Metriotes lutarea
Encyclopedia
Metriotes lutarea is a moth
of the Coleophoridae
family. It is found in most of Europe
(except the Iberian Peninsula
and most of the Balkan Peninsula) and Turkey
.
The wingspan
is 9-11 mm. Adults are on wing in May and are day-active.
The larvae feed on Stellaria holostea
and Thesium montanum. The feed on the seeds from within the host plant. At the end of the larval stage it constructs a portable case from a seed capsule. Pupation takes place in the bark of a tree.
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 Coleophoridae
Coleophoridae
| name = Case-bearers| image = Coleophoridae-01 .jpg| image_width = 240px| image_caption = Adult of an unidentified case-bearer species| regnum = Animalia| phylum = Arthropoda| classis = Insecta| ordo = Lepidoptera| superfamilia = Gelechioidea...
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 Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
and most of the Balkan Peninsula) and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
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 9-11 mm. Adults are on wing in May and are day-active.
The larvae feed on Stellaria holostea
Stellaria holostea
Stellaria holostea is an ornamental plant native of Europe.It can grow up to 50cm in height, with leaves that are long, narrow and fresh green. The flowers are white, 20-30mm across and have five distinctive petals split to about half way down.-External links:**...
and Thesium montanum. The feed on the seeds from within the host plant. At the end of the larval stage it constructs a portable case from a seed capsule. Pupation takes place in the bark of a tree.