Caryocolum tricolorella

Description

Caryocolum tricolorella is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is found from Fennoscandia to the Pyrenees, Alps and Romania and from Ireland to Russia and Ukraine. The wingspan is about 12 mm. Adults are on wing from June to August. The larvae feed on Cerastium arvense, Stellaria alsine, Stellaria media and Stellaria holostea. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of a full depth gallery, mainly in the base of the leaf, with irregularly scalloped sides. The frass is deposited in the oldest part of the mine. Older larvae live freely between spun terminal shoots. Larvae can be found from December to April. Young larvae are green. Older larvae are dull whitish green with five dull pink length lines and a black head.