Scythris potentillella

Description

Scythris potentillella is a moth of the Scythrididae family. It was described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1847. It is found from most of Europe (except Ireland, Portugal, Italy, most of the Balkan Peninsula, Ukraine, Latvia and Estonia) to Asia Minor. The habitat consists of dry sandy areas. The wingspan is 8–12 mm. The forewings are rust brown, with fine lighter scales. Adults are on wing from May to August, possibly in two generations per year. The larvae feed on Rumex acetosella and Rumex acetosa. They live within a silken web at the base of the stem, just above the ground. Larvae can be found from April to May. They are brown with a light brown head.