Vulcaniella grabowiella
Vulcaniella grabowiella is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of the splendor butterfly ( Cosmopterigidae ).
Features
The moths reach a wingspan of 7-9 millimeters. The head is brown ocher. Thorax and tegulae shining dark brown and golden glitter. The tegulae are edged with white behind. The forewing shining dark brown and golden glitter. The raised design elements are golden silvery or pale. On the Costa loaders them distinct white spots are prefixed. The first Dorsalfleck is located directly below the first Costalfleck. The hind wings shining gray. The first three segments of the abdomen are dorsally shiny gray-brown, the remaining segments shining dark brown.
In the males the right brachium is bent, it tapers distally. The left brachium is slightly curved and has a truncated apex. The Valven are parallel walls and narrow. The right Valvella is shorter than the distal part of the aedeagus and strongly curved upwards. The left Valvella is very small and knob- shaped. The distal part of aedeagus tapering gradually, the apex is slightly curved.
In females, the 8th segment is parallel walls. The Antevaginalplatte is semicircular. The sclerotization on posterior margin of the seventh segment is triangular and has in the center a weakly formed bar.
Dissemination
Vulcaniella grabowiella is native to the Mediterranean. The range extends from the Iberian Peninsula to Asia Minor.
Biology
The caterpillars develop on Lavandula stoechas (Lavandula stoechas ), skipjack or thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and thymus algeriensis numidicus. It makes two generations per year. In March and June, the caterpillars nate in the leaves, which are often spun together. This produces spot mines that do not contain Raupenkot. The caterpillars live in a silk cocoon, which is densely covered with Raupenkot. The web crawler is similar to the sack of Coleophora species ( a genus of the family of Miniersackträger ), but it is irregular and covered with droppings. The caterpillars pupate outside the mine. The moths fly from early June to early.
System
From the literature the following synonym is known:
- Pancalia grabowiella Staudinger, 1859