Mecyna asinalis
Species of moth
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mecyna asinalis, sometimes known as the madder pearl, is a species of moth of the family Crambidae found in Europe.
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| Mecyna asinalis | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Crambidae |
| Genus: | Mecyna |
| Species: | M. asinalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Mecyna asinalis (Hübner, 1819) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Description
The wingspan is 25–29 millimetres (0.98–1.14 in). The forewings are grey; lines darker, first indistinct, sometimes followed by a dark fuscous triangular subdorsal spot, second sometimes blackish -dotted, curved, with a deep abrupt sinuation inwards below middle, often preceded by a brownish or dark fuscous trapezoidal subdorsal spot; very large orbicular, and reniform discal spot somewhat paler, latter preceded and followed by faint brownish sometimes dark-edged spots. Hind are wings grey; a darker postmedian line. The larva is yellow-brownish; dorsal line reddish-brown; subdorsal broader, brown; lateral brown; spots black.[1]
The moth flies from May to October in two generations per year.[2]
The larvae graze the leaves of the foodplant eating the parenchyma and leaving a ″window″ in the upper epidermis. Foodplants include taupata (Coprosma repens), crosswort (Crucianella maritima) and wild madder (Rubia peregrina).[3]
