Agonopterix assimilella

Agonopterix assimilella is a moth of the family Depressariidae. It is found in most of Europe.

A sprig of broom with stems united by the web of a larva

Larva

Agonopterix assimilella
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Depressariidae
Genus:	Agonopterix
Species:	A. assimilella
Binomial name
Agonopterix assimilella (Treitschke, 1832)[1]
Synonyms
Haemylis assimilella Treitschke, 1832 Depressaria irrorella Stephens, 1834

The wingspan is 15–21 mm. The forewings are whitish-ochreous, often mixed with deeper ochreous or brownish, strewn with dots of blackish scales; first discal stigma blackish, second whitish, but usually obsolete, sometimes preceded by a reddish mark, across which lies often an oblique dark fuscous suffusion. Hindwings are ochreous-grey-whitish. The larva is brown; dots black; head and plate of 2 black.^[2]

Adults are on wing from April to June.

The larvae feed on Cytisus scoparius. Larvae can be found from October to February.^[3] The species overwinters in the larval stage within the stem.^[4]

Biocontrol agent in New Zealand

A. assimilella has been introduced to New Zealand to attempt to control the invasive to New Zealand plant Cytisus scoparius.^[5] As at 2021 the success of the introduction of this species to New Zealand was uncertain.^[6]