Psychoides verhuella

{{Short description|Species of moth}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = 12.047 BF199 Psychoides verhuella (17018826817).jpg

| image_caption =

| taxon = Psychoides verhuella

| authority = Bruand, 1853

| synonyms =

}}

Psychoides verhuella is a moth of the family Tineidae found in Europe. It was first described in 1853, by Charles Théophile Bruand d'Uzelle from a specimen from Besançon, France. It is the type species of the genus Psychoides, also raised by Charles Bruand in 1853.{{cite web |last1=Pitkin |first1=Brian |last2=Jenkins |first2=Paul |name-list-style=amp |date=November 5, 2004 |url=https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/butmoth/search/GenusDetails.dsml?NUMBER=24973.0 |title=Psychoides Bruand, 1853 |website=Butterflies and Moths of the World |publisher=Natural History Museum, London |accessdate=24 December 2021}} The larvae feed on ferns.

Life cycle

=Larva=

File:12.047 BF199 Psychoides verhuella, larval cases. (5482394997).jpg

File:Psychoides verhuella-filicivora larvae (16664499575).jpg

Larvae feed from August to June, initially in a whitish mine in the frond, and in the spring they leave the mine and burrow into a sorus, feeding on the sporangia. They later form a loose, portable case from empty sporangia and when fully grown in May the case resembles a misplaced sorus, especially on hart's-tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium). The larva is yellowish white with a brownish dorsa line and has a black head and black prothoracic plate.{{harvnb|Pelham-Clinton|p=159}}

The following ferns have been recorded as food plants,{{cite web |title=12.047 Psychoides verhuella Bruand, 1853 |url=http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/P.verhuella.htm |website=British Leafminers |accessdate=29 October 2019}}{{cite web |last1=Ellis |first1=W N |title=Psychoides verhuella Bruand, 1853 hart's-tongue smut |url=https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/tineoidea/tineidae/teichobiinae/psychoides/psychoides-verhuella/ |website=Plant Parasites of Europe |accessdate=24 December 2021}}

Larva of another moth, Psychoides filicivora also feed on ferns. It has a pale-brown head and a pale-brown posterial margin, which has a split in the middle, compared with the black head and prothoracic plate of Psychoides verhuella.{{harvnb|Pelham-Clinton|p=160}} Reinhard Gaedike, 2019 Tineidae II : Myrmecozelinae, Perissomasticinae, Tineinae, Hieroxestinae, Teichobiinae and Stathmopolitinae Microlepidoptera of Europe, vol. 9. Leiden : BrillPelham-Clinton E.C., 1985.Tineidae. In: The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland (Heath J & Emmet AM, eds) 2: 152-207.

=Pupa=

In a larval case, which is often against the midrib of the food plant. Can be found in May and June.{{cite web |last1=Kimber |first1=Ian |title=12.047 BF199 Psychoides verhuella Bruand, 1853 |url=https://ukmoths.org.uk/species/psychoides-verhuella/ |website=UKMoths |accessdate=29 October 2019}}

=Imago=

Single brooded, the moth flies in June and July, in early morning and late afternoon sunshine. Occasionally comes to light.{{cite book |last1=Sterling |first1=Paul |last2=Parsons |first2=Mark |last3=Lewington |first3=Richard |title=Field Guide to the Micro Moths of Great Britain and Ireland |date=2012 |publisher=British Wildlife |location=Gillingham, Dorset |isbn=978-0-9564902-1-6 |page=78}} The grey to dark grey monochrome forewings have a violet reflection and lack the white tornal spot of Psychoides filicivora. The antennae are wire-shaped and just over half as long as the front wings.

Distribution

Found in Europe, this species has been recorded from the following countries and regions; Austria, Belgium, Channel Islands, Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain (local distribution), Hungary, Ireland, Poland and Romania.{{cite web |title=Psychoides verhuella Bruand, 1853 |url=https://fauna-eu.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/fe05a890-da57-4b82-83bb-5913dcf098ac |website=Fauna Europaea |access-date=24 December 2021}}

Etymology

Psychoides was raised by Charles Braund in 1853 and comes from psukhē – of the soul, i.e. a moth of the family Psychidae and eidos – form, that is from the similarity of this species to moths of the Psychidae. The specific name verhuella is in honour of the mid-19th century Dutch entomologist, Q M R Verhuell.{{cite book |last1=Emmet |first1=A Maitland |author1-link=A. Maitland Emmet |title=The Scientific Names of the British Lepidoptera. Their history and meaning |date=1991 |publisher=Harley Books |location=Colchester |isbn=0-946589-35-6 |page=56}}

References

{{Reflist}}

Bibliography

  • {{cite book |last1=Pelham-Clinton |first1=E. C. |authorlink1=Edward Pelham-Clinton, 10th Duke of Newcastle |editor1-last=Heath |editor1-first=John |editor1-link=John Heath (entomologist) |chapter=Tiniedae |title=The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland |volume=2 |date=1985 |publisher=Harley Books |location=Colchester |isbn=0-946589-19-4 |pages=152–208|ref=Pelham-Clinton}}