Pelochrista medullana
Encyclopedia
The Brown-winged Root Moth (Pelochrista medullana) is a moth
of the Tortricidae
family. It is native to central Europe
, Turkey
and southern Russia
. It has been introduced to Idaho
, Montana
, Oregon
and British Columbia
. Introduction in the United States was approved in 1984.
The wingspan
is 14-21 mm. Adults are on wing from mid June to the end of July. There is one generation per year.
Larvae feed on Centaurea maculosa
, Centaurea biebersteinii and Centaurea diffusa in the rosette stage. They damage the roots of their host, reducing root storage capacity and exposing the plant to pathogens. Small plants are usually completely destroyed.
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 Tortricidae
Tortricidae
Tortricidae is a family of moths, commonly known as tortrix moths, in the order Lepidoptera. Tortricidae is a large family with over 9,400 species described, and is the sole member of the superfamily Tortricoidea. Many of these are economically important pests. Olethreutidae is a junior synonym...
family. It is native to central 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...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and southern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. It has been introduced to Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Introduction in the United States was approved in 1984.
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 14-21 mm. Adults are on wing from mid June to the end of July. There is one generation per year.
Larvae feed on Centaurea maculosa
Centaurea maculosa
Centaurea maculosa, the spotted knapweed, is a species of Centaurea native to eastern Europe.It has been introduced to North America, where it is considered an invasive plant species in much of the western United States and Canada. In 2000, C. maculosa occupied more than in the US.Knapweed is a...
, Centaurea biebersteinii and Centaurea diffusa in the rosette stage. They damage the roots of their host, reducing root storage capacity and exposing the plant to pathogens. Small plants are usually completely destroyed.