Mompha miscella

Description

Mompha miscella is a moth in the Momphidae family. It is found from most of Europe to Asia Minor and North Africa. In the north, it ranges to southern Fennoscandia. The wingspan is 7–9 mm. There are two generations per year with adults on wing from the end of April to the beginning of October. The larvae feed on Cistus, Helianthemum apenninum, Helianthemum canum and Helianthemum nummularium. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of a corridor which is densely packed with frass. It suddenly widens into a blotch that may occupy the whole width of the leaf and overruns the initial corridor. In the blotch, the frass is either dispersed or clumped. The larvae may leave the mine and restart elsewhere. Larvae can be found from October to May and from June to July. Pupation takes place outside of the mine within a cocoon in soil litter.