Prolita sexpunctella

Prolita sexpunctella, the long-horned flat-back or groundling, is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is found in most of Europe and North America.

Illustration from John Curtis's British Entomology Volume 6

Prolita sexpunctella
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Gelechiidae
Genus:	Prolita
Species:	P. sexpunctella
Binomial name
Prolita sexpunctella (Fabricius, 1794)[1]
Synonyms
Tinea sexpunctella Fabricius, 1794 Tinea virgella Thunberg, 1794 Tinea histrionella Geyer, 1832 Lita zebrella Treitschke, 1833 Gelechia longicornella Doubleday, 1859 Gelechia longicornis var. alpicola Frey, 1867 Gelechia alternatella Kearfott, 1908 Gelechia petulans Braun, 1925 Gelechia longicornis Curtis, 1827 Gelechia virgella ab. melanica Strand, 1920 Lita longicornis (Curtis, 1827) Anacampsis longicornis (Curtis, 1827)

The wingspan is 13–17 mm. The terminal joint of palpi is as long as second. Forewings dark reddish-brown, suffused with dark fuscous towards base and termen in disc; five fasciae of white irroration, first basal, produced along dorsum, second at 1/4, curved, third central, fourth somewhat inwards.curved, fifth slender, terminal ; stigmata dark fuscous, first discal above plical. Hindwings slightly over 1, fuscous.^[2]

Adults are on wing from May to June. They are day-flyers.

The larvae feed on the leaves of Calluna species (including Calluna vulgaris), Empetrum nigrum and Dryas octopetala. They spin the leaves together and overwintering within.

References

1. Prolita at funet
2. Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London pdf This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Keys and description

External links

• UKmoths
• Image