Platyptilia isodactylus
Encyclopedia
The Ragwort Plume Moth or Ragwort Crown-Boring Plume Moth (Platyptilia isodactylus) is a moth
of the Pterophoridae family. It is native to central Europe
, Mediterranean North Africa
and southern Europe. It has also been recorded from China
.. It has been introduced in Australia
as a biological control agent for Ragwort.
The wingspan
is about 19–29 mm. The wings are pale fawn or brown in colour with dark bands at the ends and variable V or double V shaped dark brown bands approximately one third of the wing length from the wing tip. The body and legs are lighter brown. The forewing is divided into two lobes and the hindwing into three feather-like plumes. The middle and hind legs are very long and have prominent spines. Adults have a characteristic resting posture with the body and fully outstretched wings forming a T shape, the forewing covering the hindwing, and the hind legs raised and extended parallel with the body. Males have longer, thinner abdomens.
The larvae feed on Senecio jacobaea, Senecio aquaticus and Senecio nemorensis.
and shed head capsules from a small hole in the stem and this debris accumulates on silken webbing spun around the hole by the larva. The pupal stage lasts about one week.
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 Pterophoridae 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...
, Mediterranean 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...
and southern Europe. It has also been recorded from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.. It has been introduced in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
as a biological control agent for Ragwort.
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 about 19–29 mm. The wings are pale fawn or brown in colour with dark bands at the ends and variable V or double V shaped dark brown bands approximately one third of the wing length from the wing tip. The body and legs are lighter brown. The forewing is divided into two lobes and the hindwing into three feather-like plumes. The middle and hind legs are very long and have prominent spines. Adults have a characteristic resting posture with the body and fully outstretched wings forming a T shape, the forewing covering the hindwing, and the hind legs raised and extended parallel with the body. Males have longer, thinner abdomens.
The larvae feed on Senecio jacobaea, Senecio aquaticus and Senecio nemorensis.
Life cycle
There are two generations per year. Adult moths are active in spring and autumn. Females lay an average of a hundred eggs during their lifetime, which is about 12 days. Newly hatched larvae burrow into the stalk of the leaf until they reach the crown. The larvae pass through five instars. Older larvae tunnel in the crown, stem and roots. Larvae eject their frassFrass
Frass is the fine powdery material phytophagous insects pass as waste after digesting plant parts. It causes plants to excrete chitinase due to high chitin levels, it is a natural bloom stimulant, and has high nutrient levels. Frass is known to have abundant amoeba, beneficial bacteria, and fungi...
and shed head capsules from a small hole in the stem and this debris accumulates on silken webbing spun around the hole by the larva. The pupal stage lasts about one week.