Elachista gleichenella

Elachista gleichenella is a moth of the family Elachistidae found in most of Europe.

Elachista gleichenella
Female
Male
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Elachistidae
Genus:	Elachista
Species:	E. gleichenella
Binomial name
Elachista gleichenella (Fabricius, 1781)[1]
Synonyms
List Tinea gleichella Fabricius, 1794 Oecophora magnificella Duponchel, [1843] 1842 Elachista trifasciella Nylander, [1848] 1847 Poeciloptilia fractella Herrich-Schäffer, 1855

Description

The wingspan is 8–9 mm (0.31–0.35 in).The head is bronzy -metallic. Forewings are dark bronzy -fuscous; a small basal spot, a fascia before middle, and an outwards -angulated fascia towards apex pale golden-metallic. Hindwings are grey. The Larva is whitish, faintly purple-tinged; head dark brown; 2 with two purple-blackish marks.^[2][3][4]

Biology

The larvae feed on Carex curvula, Carex digitata, Carex divulsa, star sedge (Carex echinata), glaucous sedge (Carex flacca), dwarf sedge (Carex humilis), smooth-stalked sedge (Carex laevigata), soft-leaved sedge (Carex montana), Carex morrowii, Carex muricata, Carex ornithopoda, false fox-sedge (Carex otrubae), greater tussock-sedge (Carex paniculata), pendulous sedge (Carex pendula), Carex pilosa, Carex sempervirens, wood sedge {Carex sylvatica}, Carex umbrosa, tufted hairgrass (Deschampsia cespitosa), white wood-rush (Luzula luzuloides), hairy wood-rush (Luzula pilosa), Luzula plumose and greater wood-rush (Luzula sylvatica).^[5]

Distribution

The moth is found in most of Europe (except the Iberian Peninsula), east into northern Russia.^[6]