Emmelina monodactyla

Emmelina monodactyla
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Pterophoridae
Genus:	Emmelina
Species:	E. monodactyla
Binomial name
Emmelina monodactyla (Linnaeus]], 1758)
Synonyms
List Phalaena Alucita monodactyla Linnaeus, 1758 Phalaena bidactyla Hochenwarth, 1785 Alucita pterodactyla Hübner, 1805 Pterophorus flaveodactylus Amary, 1840 Pterophorus cineridactylus Fitch, 1855 Pterophorus naevosidactylus Fitch, 1855 Pterophorus impersonalis Walker, 1864 Pterophorus pergracilidactylus Packard, 1873 Pterophorus barberi Dyar, 1903 Pterophorus pictipennis Grinnell, 1908 Pterophorus monodactylus f. rufa Dufrane, 1960

Emmelina monodactyla (also known as the T-moth or morning-glory plume moth) is a moth of the family Pterophoridae found in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758.

Description

For a key to the terms used, see Glossary of entomology terms.

The moths fly nearly year-round.[1] They are pale russet in colour, with a wingspan of 18–27 millimeters. The colouration is extremely variable, ranging from off-white with indistinct markings to a strong rust brown. The markings may vary considerably in size. The second and third segments are elongate. The caterpillars are greenish-yellow with a broad green band on the back, and a narrow broken yellow line running down the center. Some specimens may also have a wine-red marking on the back. The colour of the pupae may range from green to reddish brown, sometimes with black markings.[2][3]

Biology

The larvae feed from May to September in two overlapping generations.[1] They mainly feed on Convolvulaceae species, including hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium), low false bindweed (Calystegia spithamaea]], sea bindweed (Calystegia soldanella), field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), Cantabrican morning glory (Convolvulus cantabrica), Convolvulus floridus, Convolvulus prostratus, dwarf morning-glory (Convolvulus tricolor), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), Ipomoea eriocarpa and common morning-glory (Ipomoea purpurea). They also feed on Atriplex species, including common orache (Atriplex patula) and Chenopodium, including fat-hen (Chenopodium album) from the family Amaranthaceae, cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) from the family Asteraceae, and thorn apple (Datura stramonium) and henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) from the family Solanaceae.[4]

• 
  Emmelina and eggs
• 
  Caterpillar
• 
  Pupa
• 
  Adult at rest

Distribution

It is found in Europe, central Asia, Japan, North Africa and North America.

References

1. Kimber, Ian. "Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla (Linnaeus, 1758)". UKmoths. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
2. Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London pdf This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Keys and description
3. Gielis, C., 1996. Pterophoridae. - In P. Huerner, O. Karsholt and L. Lyneborg (eds): Microlepidoptera of Europe 1: 1-222. ISBN 87-88757-36-6 ISSN 1395-9506
4. Kim, Sora; Byun, Bong-Kyu; Park, Kyu-Tek; Lee, Seunghwan (2010-05-24). "Taxonomic study of the tribe Oidaematophorini (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae) from Korea, with descriptions of the two new species". Journal of Natural History. 44 (23–24): 1377–1399. doi:10.1080/00222931003679006.

External links

• waarneming.nl (in Dutch)
• Lepidoptera of Belgium