Scrobipalpa artemisiella (thyme moth) is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is found in most of Europe (except Portugal and Norway), Turkey and Syria through the Caucasus and Central Asia to Irkutsk and Mongolia. It has also been recorded from North America, but this records requires confirmation. et al. 2010: The gelechiid fauna of the southern Ural Mountains, part II: list of recorded species with taxonomic notes (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). Zootaxa, 2367: 1–68. Preview
The wingspan is 10–12 mm.microlepidoptera.nl Terminal joint of palpi as long as second or hardly longer. Forewings are dark brown, whitish -sprinkled, more or less streaked longitudinally with ferruginous, dorsal area visually lighter; stigmata somewhat elongate, black, first discal rather beyond plical; usually a black mark on fold beyond plical; some black dots before apex and on termen. Hindwings 1, light grey, darker terminally. The larva is greenish; dorsal and subdorsal lines darker; head pale brown; 2 brown-marked.Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London pdf Keys and descriptionHeath, J., ed. 1976 The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland Vol. 4 Part 2Langmaid, J. R., Palmer, S. M. & Young, M. R. [eds]. 2018 A Field Guide to the Smaller Moths of Great Britain and Ireland [3rd ed.]Reading, Berkshire. British Entomological and Natural History Societylepiforum.de includes images
Adults are on wing from June to July.UKmoths
The larvae feed on Thymus praecox arcticus, Thymus pulegioides, Thymus serpyllum and Satureja montana.bladmineerders.nl
Subspecies Scrobipalpa artemisiella artemisiella Scrobipalpa artemisiella oreocyrniella Petry, 1904 (Sardinia, Corsica)
References