Nemophora minimella

This record describes Nemophora minimella (species). Recorded family: Adelidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Nemophora minimella - Nemophora minimella

Feature	Description
Wingspan	Wingspan about 12 mm. A brassy bronze moth. The males have antennae almost twice the wing length; those of the females are just over one wing length.
Head	Head in males is black, in female rust coloured. Because of the rarity of this species in our area, good close up photographs are required. Please also state the type of habitat in which it was observed - were the larval foodplants present? In areas where Devil's-bit Scabious or Small Scabious occur. The adults can be found flying by day during July The larvae feed on Devil's-bit Scabious ( Succisa pratensis ) and Small Scabious ( Scabiosa columbaria ), at first on the seeds, then later from a portable case on the lower leaves. Widespread in Britain, but very local in distribution.

Feature

Description

Wingspan

Wingspan about 12 mm. A brassy bronze moth. The males have antennae almost twice the wing length; those of the females are just over one wing length.

Head

Head in males is black, in female rust coloured. Because of the rarity of this species in our area, good close up photographs are required. Please also state the type of habitat in which it was observed - were the larval foodplants present? In areas where Devil's-bit Scabious or Small Scabious occur. The adults can be found flying by day during July The larvae feed on Devil's-bit Scabious ( Succisa pratensis ) and Small Scabious ( Scabiosa columbaria ), at first on the seeds, then later from a portable case on the lower leaves. Widespread in Britain, but very local in distribution.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Adelidae
Genus: Nemophora

Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.

Habitat and Range

Habitat

In areas where Devil's-bit Scabious

Seasonal Activity

The adults can be found flying by day during July

Diet and Behavior

Life History

The larvae feed on Devil's-bit Scabious (

Additional species information

Recorded status

Widespread in Britain, but very local in distribution.

About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group

Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Nemophora minimella. 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.

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