Monochroa moyses

Description

Monochroa moyses is a moth of the Gelechiidae family. It was described by Uffen in 1991. It is found in Portugal, Great Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands. The wingspan is about 8.5 mm. The forewings are light fuscous and with scales with pale bases and fuscous tips. There is a dark mark formed of the first few costal cilia and a short row of ochreous scales forming an inconspicuous upper oblique dash behind this mark. A dark stigma lies on or just behind the mid-line of the wing opposite the tip of this dash. The hindwings are grey. The larvae feed on Scirpus maritimus and possibly Scirpus sylvaticus. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of a full depth gallery, usually ascending towards the leaf tip. All frass is ejected. The larvae have a pinkish white body and light brown head.