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Cocksfoot moth
Glyphipterix simpliciella, upperside
Lateral view
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Glyphipterigidae
Genus:	Glyphipterix
Species:	G. simpliciella
Binomial name
Glyphipterix simpliciella (Stephens, 1834)
Synonyms
List Heribeia simpliciella Stephens, 1834 Heribeia cognatella Stephens,1834 Oecophora conjunctella O. G. Costa, 1834 Ornix colluripennella O. G. Costa, 1834 Elachista aechmiella Duponcel, 1838 Aechmia fischeriella Zeller, 1839 Aechmia desiderella Fischer von Röslerstamm, 1851 Aechmia desideratella Duponchel, 1842 Aechmia roesllerstammella Fischer von Röslerstamm, 1843 Glyphipteryx nattani Gozmány, 1954

Glyphipterix simpliciella, the cocksfoot moth, is a species of moth of the family Glyphipterigidae.

Distribution

This quite common species can be found in the western part of the Palearctic realm and is common in much of Great Britain and Ireland.

Habitat

These small moths mainly inhabit flower meadows, especially with buttercup and there are often many on one flower.

Description

Glyphipterix simpliciella has a wingspan of 6–9 mm. and can reach a length of 3–4 mm. These tiny cryptic moths have dark brown forewings with a slightly metallic sheen. They also show a black apical spot and five white or silvery streaks along their costa, two across the dorsum and one in the posterior corner of the wings. The hindwings are dark grey, with grey cilia. Both sexes are similar.

This species is rather similar to Glyphipterix equitella and Glyphipterix schoenicolella.

Biology

It is a univoltine species. Adults are on wing from May to July. They fly in the sunshine and especially feed on nectar of buttercup (Ranunculus species), Crataegus monogyna, Euphorbia esula, and of various Apiaceae species (especially Leucanthemum vulgare).

The larvae feed on the seeds of cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) and Festuca pratensis. They later pupate in the stem.

Gallery

• Larva
• A head of Dactylis glomerata tenanted by larva
• Glyphipterix simpliciella

References

1. Lepiforum.de
2. Fauna europaea
3. Nature Spot
4. ^ UK Moths
5. Taranaki Educational Resource: Research, Analysis and Information Network
6. ^ "Lepidoptera of Belgium". Archived from the original on 2017-04-25. Retrieved 2017-04-24.
7. Waarneming.nl (in Dutch)

External links

• Microlepidoptera (in Dutch)
• Commanster

• v
• t
• e

• Glyphipterigidae
• Moths described in 1834
• Moths of Europe
• Taxa named by James Francis Stephens
• Glyphipterigidae stubs