Species Metzneria lappella - Burdock Seedhead Moth - Hodges#1685

1685

Burdock Seed Moth

LAPPELLA: perhaps refers to Arctium lappa, or Great Burdock, a larval foodplant

Adult: forewing tan, variably streaked with yellowish-brown; most heavily streaked along costa, with dark shallow arc sometimes running from one-third to two-thirds its length; diffuse dark spot about two-fifths distance along wing near inner margin; diagonal band of short streaks runs from apex toward inner margin; hindwing lance-like with very wide fringe; top of head and thorax pale, with thin dark line down the center; labial palps long, recurved over head; antennae long, with many narrow dark rings

Larva: head brown with whitish forehead; body white, fat, grub-like, with vestigial thoracic legs and no prolegs except for tiny anal pair clasped together

throughout United States and southern Canada

native to Eurasia

fields, roadsides, waste places; adults are attracted to light

adults fly in June and July in the north; April to August in the south

larvae in late summer, fall, and spring (overwinter)

larvae feed on developing seeds of burdock (Arctium spp.)

one generation per year; overwinters as a larva in seedhead of hostplant; pupates in spring inside seedhead