Metzneria lappella

Metzneria lappella
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Gelechiidae
Genus:	Metzneria
Species:	M. lappella
Binomial name
Metzneria lappella (Linnaeus, 1758)[1]
Synonyms
Phalaena (Tinea) lappella Linnaeus, 1758 Gelechia lappella Linnaeus, 1758 Phalaena lappella

Metzneria lappella, the burdock seedhead moth or burdock seed moth, is a moth of the Gelechiidae family. It is widely distributed throughout the Palaearctic region, northwards to the Polar Circle. It is an introduced species in North America,^[2] where it is found from Maine and Quebec to Florida, west to Ontario and Missouri. The habitat consist of fields, roadsides and waste places.^[3]

The wingspan is 13–19 mm.^[4] The forewings are yellow with dull brown streaks. There is no definite pattern, but the brown colour is heaviest along the costa near the middle.^[5] Adults are on wing in June and July in the north and from April to August in the south. There is one generation per year.

The larvae feed on the developing seeds of Arctium species, including Arctium lappa and Arctium minus.^[6] The larvae have a translucent whitish body and a brown ochre head. Larvae can be found in late summer, fall, and spring. The species overwinters in the larval stage. Pupation takes place in the seedhead.

References

1. Fauna Europaea
2. Junnilainen, J. et al. 2010: The gelechiid fauna of the southern Ural Mountains, part II: list of recorded species with taxonomic notes (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). Zootaxa, 2367: 1–68. Preview
3. Bug Guide
4. microlepidoptera.nl
5. Butterflies and Moths of North America - collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera
6. UKmoths