Batrachedra pinicolella

Description

Batrachedra parvulipunctella is a species of moth of the family Batrachedridae. It is found from most of Europe (except most of the Balkan Peninsula) east through the Caucasus and southern Siberia to the Russian Far East. The wingspan is 9–13 mm. The forewings are mostly yellow while the hindwings are grey. Adults are on wing from mid June to August or September in one generation per year. The larvae feed on Abies, Picea and Pinus species. Young larvae mine the needles of their host plant. Larvae can be found from September to May. Batrachedra is the largest genus in the moth family Batrachedridae, with representatives all over the world. The early stages of most species are unknown. The genus name is derived from the Greek words batrachos, 'frog', and edra, 'seat', referring to the frog-like resting posture of the adult moths. As of 2018 at least some 114 species are known to belong to the genus. There are only three species found in Europe. There is an especially high amount of biodiversity in the Indomalayan realm. Of most species little is known about the ecology, but of those of which it is known, the caterpillars across the genus use a large variety of host plants. At least two mine within pine or spruce needles, one is found respectively on Cyperaceae, Juncaceae, Salix and Populus, one is a pest of pineapples, another a pest of Agave, one feeds on the fruit of Smilax china and another on types of palms from Brazil.