Kessleria alpicella
| Kessleria alpicella | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Yponomeutidae |
| Genus: | Kessleria |
| Species: | K. alpicella |
| Binomial name | |
| Kessleria alpicella (Stainton, 1851) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Kessleria alpicella is a moth of the family Yponomeutidae. It is found in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and most of the Balkan Peninsula.[1]
The length of the forewings is 7–9 mm for males and 7.3-7.6 mm for females. The forewings are white with light brown accents. The hindwings are grey. Adults are on wing from the end of May to the end of July.[2]
The larvae feed on Saxifraga paniculata and Saxifraga rotundifolia. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine initially has the form of a narrow, full depth corridor with dispersed frass. Later, several full depth blotches are made. Pupation takes place outside of the mine.[3] The larvae have a green body and light brown head. They can be found in November.