Metalampra italica

Metalampra italica is a moth of the Oecophoridae family that was until recently considered endemic to Italy,^[1] from which it was originally described in 1977 by Baldizonne,^[2] but that is now also known to occur in other European countries.

Distribution

Although Fauna Europaea mentioned the species only from Italy as recent as 2013,^[3] it is clear that the species has been present further north much earlier.^[4]

In 2003, the species was discovered in Devon, after which the species has also been encountered in multiple other counties in the south of England and Wales.^[1] The species has also recently been recorded in Croatia, Germany, France, the Netherlands—where it was first caught in 1985, but misidentified as M. cinnamomea—^[5] Switzerland and Belgium^[4] and appears to be spreading its range.^[1]

Specimen of M. italica are sometimes mislabelled as the more widespread species Metalampra cinnamomea,^[4] from which it differs in ground colour of the forewing. It is not clear whether M. italica has recently spread to Central Europe or if its presence there had merely so far remained unnoticed, at least in part due to misidentification of specimens as M. cinnamomea. Multiple occurrences of such misidentification in collections have been confirmed.^[4]

Appearance

The species appears somewhat similar to Metalampra cinnamomea, but fresh specimens can be distinguished by the ground colour of the forewing.^[4] Both species have a shade of brown as ground colour, but that of M. italica is a more red brown, whereas M. cinnamomea has a greyish brown.^[5] The ground colour of M. italica is also lighter than that of M. cinnamomea.^[1] As a result, the yellow markings on the forewings appear more pronounced on M. cinnamomea.^[4] The species can also be distinguished by their genitalia. The wingspan of Metalampra italica is about 12 mm.^[1]

Behaviour and host plants

The larvae feed in decaying wood, usually Quercus spp., beneath the bark and near several species of fungus, where they weave a loose web.^[4] It is unclear whether the larvae's food source is the wood, bark, fungi or a mixture thereof.^[4] Larvae are found from autumn to May, as well as in July. Adults occur from late May to July, and again in August.^[4]

References