Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Metzneria lappella (Linnaeus, 1758)
Phalaena lappella Linnaeus, 1758
Explanation of Names
LAPPELLA: perhaps refers to Arctium lappa, or Great Burdock, a larval foodplant
Numbers
One of 2 named species in this genus in North America.
Size
Larvae about 5 mm. in midwinter
Identification
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
Range
throughout United States and southern Canada.
(2)
native to Eurasia
Habitat
fields, roadsides, waste places; adults are attracted to light
Season
adults fly in June and July in the north; April to August in the south
larvae in late summer, fall, and spring (overwinter)
Food
larvae feed on developing seeds of burdock (Arctium spp.)
Life Cycle
one generation per year; overwinters as a larva in seedhead of hostplant; pupates in spring inside seedhead
Remarks
Parasitized by the braconid wasp
Agathis malvacearum which lays eggs on larvae in burdock seed heads.
See Also
M. paucipunctella occurs in the west; its forewing is less streaked, and has dense speckling near the apex (
compare images of both species and related genera at MPG)
Print References
Powell, J.A. & P.A. Opler 2009.
Moths of Western North America. University of California Press. plate 7, fig. 31; p. 85.
(3)Internet References
pinned adult image by SangMi Lee (Moth Photographers Group)
live adult images plus description, foodplant, flight dates (Lynn Scott, Ontario)
presence in California; list (U. of California at Berkeley)