Monopis obviella
Encyclopedia
Monopis obviella is a species
of tineoid moth. It belongs to the fungus moth family
(Tineidae), and therein to the nominate subfamily Tineinae. It is (under the invalid name Tinea ferruginella) the type species
of Blabophanes, today treated as a junior synonym of the genus
Monopis
. M. crocicapitella
was only separated from the present species in 1859, and is still frequently confused with it even by rather recent sources.
yet, given that it occurs in all neighboring countries it probably has simply been overlooked. But it is apparently still a rather Continental species, as it seems absent from major Mediterranean islands, Ireland and Iceland], and on Great Britain occurs mainly in the south, towards the English Channel
. But confusion with M. crocicapitella makes the exact range of these moths still quite little known.
The adults of this small moth
have a wingspan of 13–20 mm. On the wing around May to October (depending on the location), they are nocturnal but may fly around in daytime or be attracted to light occasionally. They have blackish forewings with a thick creamy-white trailing edge, some sprinkles of the same color along the leading edge, and the translucent center spot characteristic for the genus Monopis
. The hindwings are a lighter greyish brown with minute black speckles; they are surrounded by a long-haired fringe, as usual for fungus moths and relatives. The body is dark brown, and the head bears a tuft of creamy-brown hair.
In most of its range, two generations per year seem to occur. The caterpillar
larva
e eat detritus
. They have been recorded from bird of prey
pellet
s, horn
shavings, wool
(particularly if left outside to decay) and rotting wood.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of tineoid moth. It belongs to the fungus moth family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
(Tineidae), and therein to the nominate subfamily Tineinae. It is (under the invalid name Tinea ferruginella) the type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
of Blabophanes, today treated as a junior synonym of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Monopis
Monopis
Monopis is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the nominate subfamily, Tineinae.A typical feature of these moths is a semi-transparent pale spot near the middle of the forewings. There usually are contrasting white markings adjacent to it...
. M. crocicapitella
Monopis crocicapitella
Monopis crocicapitella is a moth of the Tineidae family. It has a nearly cosmopolitan distribution. It was first described from the eastern United States....
was only separated from the present species in 1859, and is still frequently confused with it even by rather recent sources.
Ecology and description
It is not uncommon all across western Eurasia; while it has not been recorded in SloveniaSlovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
yet, given that it occurs in all neighboring countries it probably has simply been overlooked. But it is apparently still a rather Continental species, as it seems absent from major Mediterranean islands, Ireland and Iceland], and on Great Britain occurs mainly in the south, towards the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. But confusion with M. crocicapitella makes the exact range of these moths still quite little known.
The adults of this small moth
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...
have a wingspan of 13–20 mm. On the wing around May to October (depending on the location), they are nocturnal but may fly around in daytime or be attracted to light occasionally. They have blackish forewings with a thick creamy-white trailing edge, some sprinkles of the same color along the leading edge, and the translucent center spot characteristic for the genus Monopis
Monopis
Monopis is a genus of the fungus moth family, Tineidae. Therein, it belongs to the nominate subfamily, Tineinae.A typical feature of these moths is a semi-transparent pale spot near the middle of the forewings. There usually are contrasting white markings adjacent to it...
. The hindwings are a lighter greyish brown with minute black speckles; they are surrounded by a long-haired fringe, as usual for fungus moths and relatives. The body is dark brown, and the head bears a tuft of creamy-brown hair.
In most of its range, two generations per year seem to occur. The caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e eat detritus
Detritus
Detritus is a biological term used to describe dead or waste organic material.Detritus may also refer to:* Detritus , a geological term used to describe the particles of rock produced by weathering...
. They have been recorded from bird of prey
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
pellet
Pellet (ornithology)
A pellet, in ornithology, is the mass of undigested parts of a bird's food that some bird species occasionally regurgitate. The contents of a bird's pellet depend on its diet, but can include the exoskeletons of insects, indigestible plant matter, bones, fur, feathers, bills, claws, and teeth...
s, horn
Horn (anatomy)
A horn is a pointed projection of the skin on the head of various animals, consisting of a covering of horn surrounding a core of living bone. True horns are found mainly among the ruminant artiodactyls, in the families Antilocapridae and Bovidae...
shavings, wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
(particularly if left outside to decay) and rotting wood.
Synonyms
Invalid scientific names (junior synonyms and others) of M. obviella are:- Blabophanes ferruginella (Hübner, [1813]) (non Thunberg, 1788: preoccupied)
- Monopis ferruginella (Hübner, [1813]) (non Thunberg, 1788: preoccupied)
- Tinea ferruginella Hübner, [1813] (non Thunberg, 1788: preoccupied)
- Tinea obviella Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775
- Tinea splendella Hübner 1813
- Tinea ustella Haworth, 1828