Pancalia leuwenhoekella

Description

Pancalia leuwenhoekella is a moth in the family Cosmopterigidae. It is found in nearly all of Europe. In the east, the range extends to Asia Minor, the Caucasus, south-western Siberia and the Russian Far East. The wingspan is 10–12 mm. Adults are on wing from April to June. The larvae feed on Viola species, including Viola tricolor, Viola hirta and Viola canina. They initially mine the leaf stem of their host plant. In this stage, frass is ejected out of the mine through a hole. Later, the larvae feed on the bast fibre of the subterranean parts of the plant from within a silken tunnel. Pupation takes place in a cocoon made of silk and covered with sand.