Prolita sexpunctella, the long-horned flat-back or groundling, is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is found in most of Europe and North America.

Prolita sexpunctella
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Gelechiidae
Genus: Prolita
Species:
P. sexpunctella
Binomial name
Prolita sexpunctella
(Fabricius, 1794)[1]
Synonyms
  • Tinea sexpunctella Fabricius, 1794
  • Tinea virgella Thunberg, 1794
  • Tinea histrionella Geyer, 1832
  • Lita zebrella Treitschke, 1833
  • Gelechia longicornella Doubleday, 1859
  • Gelechia longicornis var. alpicola Frey, 1867
  • Gelechia alternatella Kearfott, 1908
  • Gelechia petulans Braun, 1925
  • Gelechia longicornis Curtis, 1827
  • Gelechia virgella ab. melanica Strand, 1920
  • Lita longicornis (Curtis, 1827)
  • Anacampsis longicornis (Curtis, 1827)
Illustration from John Curtis's British Entomology Volume 6

The wingspan is 13–17 mm. The terminal joint of palpi is as long as second. Forewings dark reddish-brown, suffused with dark fuscous towards base and termen in disc; five fasciae of white irroration, first basal, produced along dorsum, second at 1/4, curved, third central, fourth somewhat inwards.curved, fifth slender, terminal ; stigmata dark fuscous, first discal above plical. Hindwings slightly over 1, fuscous.[2]

Adults are on wing from May to June. They are day-flyers.

The larvae feed on the leaves of Calluna species (including Calluna vulgaris), Empetrum nigrum and Dryas octopetala. They spin the leaves together and overwintering within.

References

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  1. ^ Prolita at funet
  2. ^ Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London pdf   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Keys and description
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