Scythris picaepennis

Scythris picaepennis is a moth of the family Scythrididae first described by Adrian Hardy Haworth in 1828. It is found in Europe.

Scythris picaepennis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Scythrididae
Genus:	Scythris
Species:	S. picaepennis
Binomial name
Scythris picaepennis (Haworth, 1828)
Synonyms[1]
Porrectaria picaepennis Haworth, 1828

Description

The moth has a wingspan of circa 10 mm.^[2] Abdomen in female beneath with ochreous-whitish blotch extending over two or more anteapical segments. Forewings moderately long-pointed, dark bronzy-fuscous, with scattered whitish hair-scales, especially towards apex. Hindwings, dark purplish-fuscous. Larva dull grey-green, with several whitish lines; dots blackish; head brown-black.^[3]

It is on the wing in July.

The larvae feed in a web on many herbs including common rock-rose (Helianthemum nummularium), common bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), plantains (Plantago species), devil's-bit scabious (Succisa pratensis); thyme (Thymus praecox subsp praecox) and wild thyme (Thymus polytrichus).^[4]