Agonopterix subpropinquella is a moth

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...

.
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 16-22 mm. Adults are on wing from August to May.

The larvae feed on Arctium lappa, Carduus crispus

Carduus crispus

Carduus crispus or Welted thistle is a member of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is a favorite foodplant of caterpillars of the Painted Lady , which derives its specific epithet, cardui, from their preference for thistles...

, Carduus tenuiflorus

Carduus tenuiflorus

Carduus tenuiflorus is a species of thistle known as the winged thistle or slender-flowered thistle. It is native to Europe and North Africa but is well-known on other continents where it is an introduced species and noxious weed. This thistle may exceed two meters in height...

, Centaurea cyanus, Centaurea jacea

Centaurea jacea

Centaurea jacea is a species of herbaceous perennial plants in the genus Centaurea native to dry meadows and open woodland throughout Europe...

, 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...

, Cirsium acaule

Cirsium acaule

Cirsium acaule or acaulon has the English name Dwarf Thistle. It can be found in various parts of England, and France to Denmark. It is found on short, calcerous grasslands.-Description:...

, Cirsium arvense

Cirsium arvense

Cirsium arvense is a species of Cirsium, native throughout Europe and northern Asia, and widely introduced elsewhere. The standard English name in its native area is Creeping Thistle.-Alternate names:...

, Cirsium creticum, Cirsium vulgare

Cirsium vulgare

Cirsium vulgare is a species of the genus Cirsium, native throughout most of Europe , western Asia , and northwestern Africa...

and Onopordum acanthium. They initially mine

Leaf miner

Leaf miner is a term used to describe the larvae of many different species of insect which live in and eat the leaf tissue of plants. The vast majority of leaf-mining insects are moths , sawflies and flies , though some beetles and wasps also exhibit this behavior.Like Woodboring beetles, leaf...

the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of a short full depth corridor. The larva soon vacates the mine and continues window feeding from a spinning at the underside of a leaf. Larvae can be found from June to July. They are dull green with faint darker length lines and a black head. The species overwinters as an adult.

External links

• lepiforum.de