Mirificarma mulinella
Encyclopedia
Mirificarma mulinella is a moth
of the Gelechiidae
family. It is found in most of Europe
, except Finland
, the Baltic region
and part of the Balkan Peninsula. It has also been recorded from North Africa
.
The wingspan
is 6-7.5 mm for males and 5.5-7.5 mm for females. The head is cream to light brown. The forewings are mottled brown, mixed with cream or light brown in the apical third and occasionally also in the posterior third. Adults are on wing from July to November in Europe, but have also been recorded in February in North Africa.
The larvae feed on Ulex europaeus, Cytisus scoparius
, Cytisus nigricans, Genista germanica
, Lupinus arboreus
and Calicotome spinosa
. On Ulex and Cytisus scoparius
, they make a small hole in a bud that is not fully open and feeds on the interior of the flower, before repeating the process in another flower. On Lupinus arboreus
, the larvae feed on the leaves instead of the flowers. Larvae can be found from April to early May. Pupation takes place on the ground in a slight cocoon amongst leaves.
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 Gelechiidae
Gelechiidae
Gelechiidae is a family of moths commonly referred to as twirler moths or gelechiid moths. They are the namesake family of the huge and little-studied superfamily Gelechioidea, and the Gelechiidae's relationships with and delimitation against their relatives have been subject to considerable...
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 Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, the Baltic region
Baltic region
The terms Baltic region, Baltic Rim countries, and Baltic Rim refer to slightly different combinations of countries in the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea.- Etymology :...
and part of the Balkan Peninsula. It has also been recorded from North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
.
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 6-7.5 mm for males and 5.5-7.5 mm for females. The head is cream to light brown. The forewings are mottled brown, mixed with cream or light brown in the apical third and occasionally also in the posterior third. Adults are on wing from July to November in Europe, but have also been recorded in February in North Africa.
The larvae feed on Ulex europaeus, Cytisus scoparius
Cytisus scoparius
Cytisus scoparius, the Common Broom and Scotch Broom, syn. Sarothamnus scoparius, is a perennial leguminous shrub native to western and central Europe,....
, Cytisus nigricans, Genista germanica
Genista germanica
Genista germanica is a plant species in the genus Genista....
, Lupinus arboreus
Lupinus arboreus
Lupinus arboreus is a species of lupine native to the western United States in California, where it is widely distributed among coastal scrub and sand dunes...
and Calicotome spinosa
Calicotome spinosa
Calicotome spinosa is a very spiny, densely-branched shrub of the legume family Fabaceae which can reach up to three metres in height. It grows in the Western Mediterranean region on sunny slopes and dry, rocky ground. It is found in Spain, France, Italy, Croatia and Algeria and has been...
. On Ulex and Cytisus scoparius
Cytisus scoparius
Cytisus scoparius, the Common Broom and Scotch Broom, syn. Sarothamnus scoparius, is a perennial leguminous shrub native to western and central Europe,....
, they make a small hole in a bud that is not fully open and feeds on the interior of the flower, before repeating the process in another flower. On Lupinus arboreus
Lupinus arboreus
Lupinus arboreus is a species of lupine native to the western United States in California, where it is widely distributed among coastal scrub and sand dunes...
, the larvae feed on the leaves instead of the flowers. Larvae can be found from April to early May. Pupation takes place on the ground in a slight cocoon amongst leaves.