Elachista canapennella
This record describes Elachista canapennella (species). Recorded family: Elachistidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wingspan 8 to10 mm. The males of this species are relatively plain greyish brown with indistinct darker mottling. The females are quite different, being smaller with much more distinctive dark grey ground colour with white markings. Various habitats especially in grassy areas. It has two generations in most of its range, being on the wing from April to June and from July to September. In northern Scotland however, it is single brooded from June to August. The larvae mine internally in the blades of various grasses. Distributed fairly commonly throughout the British Isles. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.
Wikipedia reference for Elachista canapennella: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elachista_canapennella.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Family
- Elachistidae
- Genus
- Elachista
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Various habitats especially in grassy areas.
Seasonal Activity
It has two generations in most of its range, being on the wing from April to June and from July to September. In northern Scotland however, it is single brooded from June to August.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
The larvae mine internally in the blades of various grasses.
Additional species information
Recorded status
Distributed fairly commonly throughout the British Isles. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Elachista canapennella. 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.
Photos of Elachista canapennella (3)
Frequently Asked Questions About Elachista canapennella
What is Elachista canapennella?
Elachista canapennella is a species in the family Elachistidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Elachista canapennella found?
Habitat: Various habitats especially in grassy areas.
When is Elachista canapennella active?
Elachista canapennella: seasonal activity - It has two generations in most of its range, being on the wing from April to June and from July to September. In northern Scotland however, it is single brooded from June to August..
What is the life cycle of a Elachista canapennella?
The larvae mine internally in the blades of various grasses.