Dolicharthria punctalis

Dolicharthria punctalis, the long-legged china-mark, is a species of moth of the family Crambidae. It is the type species of the proposed genus Stenia, which is usually included in Dolicharthria but may be distinct.[1]

Illustration from John Curtis's British Entomology Volume 6

Dolicharthria punctalis
Adult, Roussillon, France
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Crambidae
Genus:
Dolicharthria
Species:
D. punctalis
Binomial name
Dolicharthria punctalis
Synonyms
  • Pyralis punctalis Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775
  • Stenia punctalis (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) (but see text)

It is found mainly in central and southern Europe, but has been spotted further north. The wingspan is 20–25 mm. The moth flies from May to September depending on the location.

The caterpillars feed on Centaurea (knapweeds), Plantago (plantain herb), Trifolium (clovers), Artemisia vulgaris (common wormwood) and even the marine eelgrass Zostera marina. Yet other unusual recorded[2] foods are dry leaves, plant waste, and old roots.

Footnotes
  1. See references in Savela (2009)
  2. Grabe (1942)

References
  • Grabe, Albert (1942): Eigenartige Geschmacksrichtungen bei Kleinschmetterlingsraupen ["Strange tastes among micromoth caterpillars"]. Zeitschrift des Wiener Entomologen-Vereins 27: 105-109. (in German) PDF fulltext
  • Savela, Markku (2009): Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms – Dolicharthria. Version of May 16, 2009. Retrieved April 12, 2010.


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