Teleiodes luculella
This record describes Teleiodes luculella (species). Recorded family: Gelechiidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wingspan about 11mm. A rather distinctive speis. It is dark grey or almost black with a large, semi circular pale costal blotch, often with an orangey tinge, and a pale bar across the wing at about two thirds. Oak woods and areas where oak is present. Flying in May and June, the adult moths can be attracted to light but can sometimes be located in daytime on tree trunks. Oak is the larval foodplant, the larva feeding between spun leaves during September. It overwinters as a pupa in a cocoon on the ground. Occurring in most of England and Wales, but not in Scotland or Ireland, this rather distinctive species is fairly common in southern oak woods. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Family
- Gelechiidae
- Genus
- Teleiodes
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Oak woods and areas where oak is present.
Seasonal Activity
Flying in May and June, the adult moths can be attracted to light but can sometimes be located in daytime on tree trunks.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
Oak is the larval foodplant, the larva feeding between spun leaves during September. It overwinters as a pupa in a cocoon on the ground.
Additional species information
Recorded status
Occurring in most of England and Wales, but not in Scotland or Ireland, this rather distinctive species is fairly common in southern oak woods. 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 Teleiodes luculella. 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 Teleiodes luculella (5)
Frequently Asked Questions About Teleiodes luculella
What is Teleiodes luculella?
Teleiodes luculella is a species in the family Gelechiidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Teleiodes luculella found?
Habitat: Oak woods and areas where oak is present.
When is Teleiodes luculella active?
Teleiodes luculella: seasonal activity - Flying in May and June, the adult moths can be attracted to light but can sometimes be located in daytime on tree trunks..
What is the life cycle of a Teleiodes luculella?
Oak is the larval foodplant, the larva feeding between spun leaves during September. It overwinters as a pupa in a cocoon on the ground.