Numbers
4 species in North America listed at
All-LepsSize
wingspan 7-10 mm, based on several Internet photos
Identification
Adult: forewing slender, almost parallel-sided, with wide fringe on outer margin, especially at anal angle, where the fringe forms a tuft that projects upward when the moth is at rest; forewing dark with small to large orange or yellow patches, and sometimes metallic silvery markings
Larva: grub-like, with small head and large cylindrical body; abdomen pale yellowish with several dark spots on each segment
Range
two species (drurella, sexguttella) present in northeastern North America are widespread in Europe and north Africa, and perhaps were introduced from there (?)
the other two North American species (lingulacella, versicolorella) occur in the west from California to Alberta, and are presumably native
Habitat
fields, roadsides, waste places where foodplants grow
Season
in Europe, adults fly in May and June, and again in August and September
Food
larvae feed on members of the goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae) such as orache or
saltbush (
Atriplex spp.) and goosefoot or lambs-quarters (
Chenopodium spp.)
Life Cycle
larvae are leaf-miners, forming a contorted gallery on the surface of leaves; two generations per year
Internet References
live adult image of
C. sexguttella by Ian Smith, plus life cycle, flight season, foodplants, habitat (Ian Kimber, UK Moths)
live adult image of
C. drurella by Nigel Whinney, plus life cycle, flight season, foodplants, habitat (Ian Kimber, UK Moths)
pinned adult image of
C. lingulacella plus photos of related species/genera by Jim Vargo (Moth Photographers Group)
pinned adult image of
C. sexguttella by SangMi Lee (Moth Photographers Group)
pinned adult images of
C. drurella and
C. sexguttella plus other info (Bert Gustafsson, Swedish Museum of Natural History)
pinned adult image of
C. sexguttella (Kimmo and Seppo Silvonen, Finland)
live larva image of
C. drurella by Andy Beaumont, plus habitat, life cycles, flight season, foodplants (Ian Kimber, UK Moths)
presence in California; list two species (U. of California at Berkeley)
presence in Ontario; list two species (NHIC; Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources)
Contributed by
Robin McLeod on 24 July, 2006 - 6:18pm
Additional contributions by
Edward RudenLast updated 23 December, 2019 - 5:18pm
