Scythris potentillella is a moth of the family Scythrididae first described by the German entomologist Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1847. It is found in Asia Minor and Europe.
| Scythris potentillella | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Scythrididae |
| Genus: | Scythris |
| Species: | S. potentillella |
| Binomial name | |
| Scythris potentillella (Zeller, 1847) | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Description
The wingspan is 8–12 mm. The forewings are rust bown, with fine lighter scales. Adults are on wing from May to August, possibly in two generations per year.[2]
The larvae feed on common sorrel (Rumex acetosa) and sheep's sorrel (Rumex acetosella) and can be found in April and May. They are brown with a light brown head and live within a silken web at the base of the stem.[3]
Distribution
It is found from most of Europe (except Ireland, Portugal, Italy, most of the Balkan Peninsula, Ukraine, Latvia and Estonia) to Asia Minor.[4] The habitat consists of dry sandy areas.