Eteobalea serratella explained

Eteobalea serratella is a moth in the family Cosmopterigidae. It is found in most of Europe, except the Benelux, Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Fennoscandia and the Baltic states.[1] It was approved for release in the United States in 1995 for the biological control of toadflax. A few field releases have been made in western Canada and the western United States, but no established populations have been confirmed.[2]

The wingspan is 16–18 mm. There is one generation per year.

The larvae feed on Linaria vulgaris. They are off-white with brown heads. They develop through five instars and reach a length of up to 12 mm.[3]

Notes and References

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20121015040157/http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=436694 Fauna Europaea
  2. http://www.biocontrol.entomology.cornell.edu/weedfeed/EteobaleaSerratella.html Cornell University - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences - Eteobalea serratella
  3. http://wiki.bugwood.org/Eteobalea_serratella bugwood.org