Agonopterix kaekeritziana
Encyclopedia
Agonopterix kaekeritziana is a moth
of the Oecophoridae
family. It is found in most of Europe
(except the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula and Portugal
) east to the Near East
and the eastern part of the Palearctic ecozone.
The wingspan
is 19-23 mm. Adults are on wing from July to September.
The larvae feed on Centaurea
species, including Centaurea nigra
and Centaurea scabiosa
. They feed in spun or rolled leaves of their host plant. Larvae can be found from May to June. They are dark brown with a black head.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Oecophoridae
Oecophoridae
Oecophoridae is a family of small moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea. The phylogeny and systematics of gelechoid moths are still not fully resolved, and the circumscription of the Oecophoridae is strongly affected by this....
family. It is found in most of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
(except the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
) east to the Near East
Near East
The Near East is a geographical term that covers different countries for geographers, archeologists, and historians, on the one hand, and for political scientists, economists, and journalists, on the other...
and the eastern part of the Palearctic ecozone.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 19-23 mm. Adults are on wing from July to September.
The larvae feed on Centaurea
Centaurea
Centaurea is a genus of between 350 and 600 species of herbaceous thistle-like flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Members of the genus are found only north of the equator, mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere; the Middle East and surrounding regions are particularly species-rich...
species, including Centaurea nigra
Centaurea nigra
Centaurea nigra is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common names Lesser Knapweed, Common Knapweed and Black Knapweed...
and Centaurea scabiosa
Centaurea scabiosa
Centaurea scabiosa or Greater Knapweed is a perennial plant of the genus Centaurea. It is native to Europe and bears purple flower heads.Greater knapweed is found growing in dry grasslands, hedgerows and cliffs on lime-rich soil...
. They feed in spun or rolled leaves of their host plant. Larvae can be found from May to June. They are dark brown with a black head.