Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla

Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla, also known as the twin-spot plume is a moth of the Pterophoroidea family found in North Africa, Asia and Europe. It was first described by the Austrian physician and naturalist, Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in 1763.^[1] It is one of four similar looking moths.

Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Pterophoridae
Genus:	Stenoptilia
Species:	S. bipunctidactyla
Binomial name
Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla (Scopoli, 1763)
Synonyms
List Phalaena bipunctidactyla Scopoli, 1763 Alucita mictodactyla Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775 Pterophorus hodgkinsonii Gregson, 1868 Pterophorus hirundodactyla Gregson, 1871 Pterophorus plagiodactylus Stainton, 1851 Pterophorus serotinus Zeller, 1852 Pterophorus scabiodactyla Gregson, 1871 Stenoptilia succisae Gibeaux & Nel, 1991 Stenoptilia tourlani Gibeaux, 1992

Description

The wingspan is 17–25 mm.^[2] The moths fly from dusk, in two overlapping generations from March to October, depending on location.^[3] They are also attracted to light.^[2]

Similar species

This moth may be an aggregate of species with similar looking wings and is part of the Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla group of four species which all look similar. The other moths of this group are,^[3]

• small scabious plume (Stenoptilia annadactyla)
• scarce plume (Stenoptilia inopinata)
• Gregson's plume (Stenoptilia scabiodactylus)

See Gielis, C., 1996. Pterophoridae ^[4]

Figs Figs 9, 9a, 9b, 9c larvae in various stages of growth 9d attacked food plant (Scabiosa columbaria)

Early stages

The larvae feed on devil's-bit scabious (Succisa pratensis), common toadflax (Linaria vulgaris), weasel's snout (Misopates orontium), small scabious (Scabiosa columbaria) and widow flower (Knautia species). There are differences in the early and intermediate larval instars which may be two different species or the variation may be due to diet, season or normal variation within the species. Larvae found on one foodplant can be reared on the other foodplant. They overwinter as an early instar. Spring generation larvae feed within a stem and some, later in a folded leaf, while the summer generation feed in the flowers.^[2]

Pupae are attached to the larval foodplant or to a nearby stem.^[2]

Distribution

The twin-spot plume is found in Europe, Asia Minor, Syria, North Africa and Iran.^[5]