Scythris picaepennis (Haworth, 1828)

white-dusted owlet

mine

Elongate transparent blotch without frass in the lowest leaves. The larva mines from a silken tube under the leaf, in which it retreats during feeding pauses. The tube descends down to the root collar of the plant.

host plants

Polyphagous on low herbs

Helianthemum nummularium; Lotus corniculatus; Plantago; Succisa pratensis; Thymus praecox subsp. polytrichus.

Common birds-foot Trefoil and wild thyme seem to be the most important ones (Bengtsson, 2002a).

phenology

Larvae in May (Hering, 1957a).

BENELUX

BE recorded (Phegea, 2010).

NE recorded (Kuchlein & de Vos, 1999a; Microlepidoptera.nl, 2010).

LUX not recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2010).

distribution within Europe

All Europe, with possible exception of the Mediterranean Islands and Greece (Fauna Europaea, 2010)observed to an altitude of 2500 m (Embacher & Huemer, 2008a).

larva

Body bluish grey with some whitish length lines; pinacula black; head yellow, prothoracic plate black with yellowish anterior border; thoracic feet dark green (Bengtsson, 2002a).

synonyms

Scythris senescens (Stainton, 1850).

references

Bengtsson (1997a, 2002a), Embacher & Huemer (2008a), Hering (1957a), Huemer (2012a), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Maček (1999a), Pinzari, Pinzari & Zilli (2013a), De Prins (1998a), Robbins (1991a), Szőcs (1977a), Wörz (1957a), Zoerner (1970b).