Acompsia cinerella
This record describes Acompsia cinerella (species). Recorded family: Gelechiidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wingspan 16 to19 mm. An unmarked brownish moth with long upwardly-curved labial palps. A variety of habitats, usually areas with rich vegetation or plenty of trees and bushes. Flying in June and July, it can be attracted to light. The larva is unknown, but is believed to feed on moss, often at the base of a tree. The species is widely, but thinly distributed over all of the British Isles except some of the outlying Scottish islands. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local. No additional images available for this species.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Family
- Gelechiidae
- Genus
- Acompsia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
A variety of habitats, usually areas with rich vegetation or plenty of trees and bushes.
Seasonal Activity
Flying in June and July, it can be attracted to light.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
The larva is unknown, but is believed to feed on moss, often at the base of a tree.
Additional species information
Recorded status
The species is widely, but thinly distributed over all of the British Isles except some of the outlying Scottish islands. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Acompsia cinerella. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acompsia cinerella
What is Acompsia cinerella?
Acompsia cinerella is a species in the family Gelechiidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Acompsia cinerella found?
Habitat: A variety of habitats, usually areas with rich vegetation or plenty of trees and bushes.
When is Acompsia cinerella active?
Acompsia cinerella: seasonal activity - Flying in June and July, it can be attracted to light..
What is the life cycle of a Acompsia cinerella?
The larva is unknown, but is believed to feed on moss, often at the base of a tree.