Platyptilia farfarellus
Encyclopedia
Platyptilia farfarellus is a moth
of the Pterophoridae family. It is found from central and southern Europe
to Asia Minor
, Micronesia
and Japan
(Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu). It is also known from Africa, where it has been recorded from Equatorial Guinea
, Kenya
, Madagascar
, Mauritius
, Nigeria
, South Africa
São Tomé & Principe, Tanzania
and Uganda
.
The length of the forewings is 7-11 mm.
The larvae feed on Calendula arvensis
, Calendula officinalis
, Callistephus chinensis, Centaurea cyanus, Dahlia pinnata, Emilia flammea, Erigeron canadensis, Erigeron linifolius, Helichrysum bracteatum and Senecio cruentus. They bore into the flower-bud, flower, terminal end of the stem or the fork of the stem of the host plant. When the larva bores into the stem, it makes a tunnel. The larva pupates within the stem or flower.
to be a synonym of Platyptilia farfarellus.
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 Pterophoridae family. It is found from central and southern 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...
to Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
, Micronesia
Micronesia
Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is distinct from Melanesia to the south, and Polynesia to the east. The Philippines lie to the west, and Indonesia to the southwest....
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...
(Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu). It is also known from Africa, where it has been recorded from Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea where the capital Malabo is situated.Annobón is the southernmost island of Equatorial Guinea and is situated just south of the equator. Bioko island is the northernmost point of Equatorial Guinea. Between the two islands and to the...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
São Tomé & Principe, Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
and Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
.
The length of the forewings is 7-11 mm.
The larvae feed on Calendula arvensis
Calendula arvensis
Calendula arvensis is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name field marigold. It is native to central and southern Europe, and it is known across the globe as an introduced species. It is an annual herb not generally exceeding 15 centimeters in height. The leaves...
, Calendula officinalis
Calendula officinalis
Calendula officinalis is a plant in the genus Calendula , in the family Asteraceae. It is probably native to southern Europe though its long history of cultivation makes its precise origin unknown, and may possibly be of garden origin...
, Callistephus chinensis, Centaurea cyanus, Dahlia pinnata, Emilia flammea, Erigeron canadensis, Erigeron linifolius, Helichrysum bracteatum and Senecio cruentus. They bore into the flower-bud, flower, terminal end of the stem or the fork of the stem of the host plant. When the larva bores into the stem, it makes a tunnel. The larva pupates within the stem or flower.
Taxonomy
Some authors consider Platyptilia molopiasPlatyptilia molopias
Platyptilia molopias is a moth of the Pterophoridae family. It has a very wide distribution in the Old World tropics, ranging from Africa through India and Sri Lanka, east to Indonesia. It is also found in the Philippines on Luzon, Mindoro, Negros and Mindanao.The wingspan is about 15 mm.The larvae...
to be a synonym of Platyptilia farfarellus.