Mompha miscella

Mompha miscella is a moth in the family Momphidae, found in Asia Minor, Europe and North Africa.

Mompha miscella
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Momphidae
Genus:	Mompha
Species:	M. miscella
Binomial name
Mompha miscella (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) [1]
Synonyms
List Tinea miscella Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775 Lophoptilus staintoni Sircom, 1848 Tebenna opacella Müller-Rutz, 1934

Description

The wingspan is 7–9 mm. There are two generations per year with adults on wing from the end of April to the beginning of October.

The larvae feed on rock rose (Cistus species), white rock-rose (Helianthemum apenninum), hoary rock-rose (Helianthemum oelandicum) and common rock-rose (Helianthemum nummularium), mining the leaves of their host plant.^[2] Larvae can be found from October to April and from June to July. Pupation takes place outside of the mine within a cocoon in soil litter.^[3]

Distribution

Mompha miscella is found in most of Europe through to Asia Minor and North Africa. In the north, it is also found in the southern part of Fennoscandia.