Chionodes fumatella, the downland groundling, is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is found in almost all of Europe (except Portugal and Croatia).[1] Outside of Europe, it is found in Turkey, the Caucasus, Mongolia and from Siberia to the Russian Far East.[2]

Downland groundling
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Gelechiidae
Genus: Chionodes
Species:
C. fumatella
Binomial name
Chionodes fumatella
(Douglas, 1850)
Synonyms
  • Gelechia fumatella Douglas, 1850
  • Chionodes carpella Piskunov, 1971
  • Gelechia opletella Herrich-Schaffer, 1854
  • Gelechia celerella Stainton, 1851
  • Gelechia nigricans Heinemann, 1870
  • Gelechia reuttiella Heinemann, 1870
  • Gelechia syrticola Staudinger, 1871
  • Gelechia nigricans var. brunnea Teich, 1901

The wingspan is 12–19 mm.[3][4] The terminal joint of palpi as long as second. Forewings brown, usually mixed with dark fuscous; usually indistinct dark fuscous spots on costa near base, at 4, and beyond middle, and in disc near base and at 4; stigmata black, often partly edged with whitish, first discal beyond plical; an indistinct pale ferruginous-tinged angulated fascia at 3/4, sometimes almost. obsolete. Hindwings light grey. [5]

Adults have been recorded on wing from June to August.[6] The larvae have been reared on Lotus corniculatus.

References

edit
  1. ^ Fauna Europaea
  2. ^ Junnilainen, J. et al. 2010: The gelechiid fauna of the southern Ural Mountains, part II: list of recorded species with taxonomic notes (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). Zootaxa, 2367: 1–68. Preview
  3. ^ "microlepidoptera.nl". Archived from the original on 2014-07-01. Retrieved 2013-09-16.
  4. ^ lepiforum.de
  5. ^ Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London pdf   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Keys and description
  6. ^ UK Moths