Prochoreutis myllerana

Prochoreutis myllerana, Miller’s nettle-tap or small metal-mark, is a moth of the family Choreutidae found in Asia and Europe.[2] Miller's nettle-tap was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1794 from a specimen found in Sweden.

Prochoreutis myllerana
Prochoreutis myllerana. Dorsal view
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Choreutidae
Genus:
Prochoreutis
Species:
P. myllerana
Binomial name
Prochoreutis myllerana
(Fabricius, 1794)
Synonyms[1]

Distribution
Illustration from John Curtis's British Entomology Volume 6
Mounted specimen

This species can be found in most of Europe, east into Russia. It is also known from China (Heilongjiang, Xinjiang), Korea and Japan (Hokkaido).[1][3]

Description

The wingspan of Prochoreutis myllerana can reach 10–14 mm.[4] Forewings are variegated brown, with a dark brown median fascia showing white dusting. These moths are characterized by 2 + 2 white dots on the upper part of the wings, near the edge.

Prochoreutis myllerana is very similar to Prochoreutis sehestediana, but in the latter the white dusting extends more than half way towards the costa of the forewings and the mentioned 2 + 2 white dots are missing.[4] The apex of P. sehestediana is more pointed.[5] Moreover in P. mullerana, the head of a larva is uniformly pale brown, contrary to Prochoreutis sehedestediana.[6]

Biology

Adults are on wing from May to early September.[4] There are probably three generations per year. [4] The monophagous larvae feed on common skullcap (Scutellaria galericulata) and lesser skullcap (Scutellaria minor).[4] The young larvae mine the lower leaves of their host plant, older larvae live free among spun leaves. There are also records on white dead-nettle (Lamium album) and red dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum), but these need confirmation.[1][6] Full grown larvae can be found in June, and in July and August. The pupa forms in a dense white, spindle-shaped cocoon (circa 10 mm long), in a folded leaf.[7] Probably these moths hibernate as adults.

References
  1. "Prochoreutis Diakonoff & Heppner, 1980". Funet.fi. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  2. Budashkin, Yu; Li, H H (2009). "Study on Chinese Acrolepiidae and Choreutidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera)". SHILAP Revista de Lepidopterología. 37 (146): 179–189. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  3. "Prochoreutis myllerana (Fabricius, 1794)". Fauna Europaea. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  4. Kimber, Ian. "Prochoreutis myllerana (Fabricius, 1794)". UKmoths. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  5. "48.002 Prochoreutis myllerana (Small Metal-mark)". British Lepidoptera. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  6. Ellis, W N. "Prochoreutis myllerana (Fabricius. 1794) small metal-mark". Plant Parasites of Europe. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  7. Pelham-Clinton, E C (1985). Heath, John; Emmet, A Maitland (eds.). Choreutidae. In The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. Volume 2. Colchester: Harley Books. p. 395. ISBN 0-946589-19-4.
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