Ectoedemia argyropeza


Ectoedemia argyropeza is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is a widespread species, with a Holarctic distribution.

Description

The wingspan is 7 mm. The head is ochreous-yellow with a whitish collar. The antennal eyecaps are also whitish. The forewings are dark fuscous with a small costal spot before middle, and a larger dorsal spot before the tornus whitish; outer half of cilia whitish. The hindwings are grey.

Taxonomy

The name history is complex.
Adults are on wing from May to June. It is a parthenogenetic species, with males being extremely rare.
The larvae feed on aspen and quaking aspen. They mine the leaves of their host plant.

Subspecies

  • Ectoedemia argyropeza argyropeza
  • Ectoedemia argyropeza downesi Wilkinson and Scoble, 1979

Distribution

It is found in most of Europe, as well as North America. In Russia, it is found in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kaluga, Tatarstan and Kaliningrad. It is also known from north-eastern China.