Epermenia chaerophyllella

Epermenia chaerophyllella, also known as the garden lance-wing, is a moth of the family Epermeniidae first described by Johann August Ephraim Goeze in 1783. It is found in all of Europe and Asia Minor.^[1][2]

Epermenia chaerophyllella
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Epermeniidae
Genus:	Epermenia
Species:	E. chaerophyllella
Binomial name
Epermenia chaerophyllella (Goeze, 1783)
Synonyms
Phalaena chaerophyllella Goeze, 1783 Tinea testaceella Hübner, [1313] Lophonotus fasciculellus Stephens, 1834 Chauliodus nigrostriatellus Heylaerts, 1883 Epermenia turatiella Costantini, 1923

Description

Moths can be found in all months of the year. They are most abundant from October to May and in July and August.^[3] The wingspan is 12–14 mm. Adults are blackish, chestnut and whitish. There are two to three generations per year with the last generation of adults overwintering.^[4] Epermenia aequidentellus looks similar, but has narrower forewings without a hooked apex.^[5]

Ova

Eggs are laid between April and September on the underside of a mature leaf of a plant from the Umbelliferae family, often near the edge.^[3]

Larvae can be found from May to June and again from August to September.^[6] The body sometimes appear translucent and can be glossy white, yellow or greenish, with black or brown spots and a whitish dorsal line. The head is pale brown. There are five instars.^[3] Larva of Epermenia aequidentellus found on wild carrot (Daucus carota) have a dark dorsal line and a black head.^[4]

The larvae feed on various Apiaceae species, including ground elder (Aegopodium podagraria), garden angelica (Angelica archangelica litoralis), angelica (Angelica sylvestris), bur-chervil (Anthriscus caucalis), chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium), cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris), celery (Apium graveolens), lesser water-parsnip (Berula erecta), caraway (Carum carvi), Chaerophyllum hirsutum, rough chervil (Chaerophyllum temulum), cowbane (Cicuta virosa), hemlock (Conium maculatum), wild carrot (Daucus carota), giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum), hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium), lovage (Levisticum officinale), water dropwort (Oenanthe species), parsnip (Pastinaca sativa), Peucedanum species, burnet-saxifrage (Pimpinella saxifraga), moon carrot (Seseli libanotis), Silaum species, Sison amomum,^[7] great water-parsnip (Sium latifolium) and hedge parsleys (Torilis species).^[6]

Pupa

The light brown pupa is in an open network cocoon and is normally found in detritus on the ground or occasionally on the leaf, or in a petiole groove.^[3]

• 
  Habitat, Ireland
• 
  Larva (with frass)
• 
  Pupa in an open network cocoon

References

1. "Epermenia (Calotripis) chaerophyllella (Goeze, 1783)". Fauna Europaea. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
2. Savela, Markku Savela. "Epermenia Hübner, [1825]". Lepidoptera and some other life forms. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
3. Godfray, H C J; Sterling, P H (1996). Epermeniidae. In Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. Volume 3. Colchester: Harley Books. pp. 121–2. ISBN 0-946589-56-9.
4. Kimber, Ian. "Epermenia chaerophyllella (Goeze, 1783)". UKmoths. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
5. Sterling, Phil; Parsons, Mark; Lewington, Richard (2012). Field Guide to the Micromoths of Great Britain and Ireland. Gillingham, Dorset: British Wildlife Publishing. p. 201. ISBN 978-0-9564902-1-6.
6. Ellis, W N. "Epermenia chaerophyllella (Goeze, 1783) garden lance-wing". Plant Parasites of Europe. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
7. Dr. Willem N. Ellis (2013-03-15). "Sison amomum, stone parsley". bladmineerders.nl. Dr. Willem N. Ellis, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Retrieved 2013-03-15.