Aplota palpellus (Haworth, 1828) Species
Last modified: Feb. 24, 2023, 1:28 p.m.
A very rare and local species in Belgium.
Details
- Classification
- Family: Oecophoridae > Subfamily: Pleurotinae > Genus: Aplota > Species: Aplota palpellus
- Vernacular names
- Langsnoetmot (NL), Scarce Brown Streak (EN), Auen-Totholzfalter (DE)
- First mention in Belgium
- Fologne E. 1862c. Notes sur quelques lépidoptères observés en Belgique. — Annales de la Société entomologique belge 6: 170–176. On page 173. view page
- Status
-
Native
Distribution
Imago
Museum specimens
No pictures yet!Specimens in nature
Genitalia
Caterpillar
Dull green, head and prothoracic plate black, last abdominal segment dark brown.
Bionomics
The species hibernates in the larval stage. The caterpillar spins a whitish, silken gallery between mosses or lichens growing on old trees. Sometimes many of these silken galleries occur close to each other, forming a network in the moss. This has lead to the idea that the caterpillars live gregariously.
The adults rest during the day on tree trunks, but they have also been observed flying around patches with mosses or lichens, even when these were growing on rocks. They come to light.
Flight periods
One generation a year: from the end of June till the beginning of September.
Observed on
- Host plant (species):
- Hypnum cupressiforme and Homalothecium sericeum
- Substrates:
- Mosses and Lichens
The caterpillars live on mosses and lichens, like: Hypnum cupressiforma, Homalothecium sericeum, and Orthotrichum sp. growing on the trunks or branches of deciduous trees, like: Fagus sylvatica, Populus, Prunus, Quercus or Ulmus.
Habitat
Forest margins or open places in forest where old, dying trees are growing, with a preference for dark habitats rich in mosses.
