Lantanophaga pusillidactylus (Pterophoridae)-Butterflies of Crete

Lantanophaga pusillidactyla, Crete - photo © K. Bormpoudaki

MOTH INFO

Lantanophaga pusillidactylus is a moth of the family Pterophoridae on the island of Crete, Greece.

Lantanophaga pusillidactylus (Walker, 1864)

Synonyms

Oxyptilus pusillidactylus Walker, 1864

Platyptilia tecnidion Zeller, 1877

Platyptilia hemimetra Meyrick, 1886

Platyptilia lantana Busck, 1914

Platyptilia lantanadactyla Amsel, 1951

Common name

Lantana Plume Moth

Classification

Superfamily: Pterophoroidea > Family: Pterophoridae > Subfamily: Pterophorinae > Genus: Lantanophaga

Wingspan

11-14 mm

Habitat

Gardens and parks.

Food plant

The monophagous larva feeds on the flowers of Lantana camara.

Flight period

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

Links

Lepidoptera Mundi

Lepiforum e. V.

Plant Parasites of Europe

Demetriou et al, 2020. Α new tropical invader in Greece: The lantana plume moth Lantanophaga pusillidactylus (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae).

Notes

The species is native to Mexico and the Caribbean. It was first recorded in Europe in southern Spain in 1997 and has since been reported from several other Mediterranean regions, including Greece. In Crete, it was first reported in 2018 (Demetriou et al., 2020).