JungleDragon is a nature and wildlife community for photographers, travellers and anyone who loves nature. We're genuine, free, ad-free and beautiful.

Micro moth - Hidden exit hole Hidden exit hole of Micro moth just under the flower bud of Brown Knapweed (Centaurea jacea)<br />
For details, refer to description with this image:<br />
<figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/98625/micro_moth_-_exit_hole_in_brown_knapweed.html" title="Micro moth - Exit hole in Brown Knapweed"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/3043/98625_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1718236810&Signature=oU6DpLpFCrFjbChcf%2BxI0LC9Kyw%3D" width="200" height="114" alt="Micro moth - Exit hole in Brown Knapweed The other day Tymo showed us some details of the biology of this Micro moth (ID pending)<br />
The little caterpillar/larva munches a corridor in the stem of Brown Knapweed and creates an exit hole for itself to emerge through once it has finished development to imago (planning ahead!), then retracts into the flower bud, feeds some more and pupates - strangely somehow always "backwards" (bum pointing to the exit hole). I opened this flower bud (from the stem) to have a better look...<br />
<br />
Half of stem peeled away to see corridor with frass and the exit hole from the inside:<br />
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/98626/micro_moth_-_frass_in_corridor_to_flower_bud_of_brown_knapweed.html<br />
The pupa in situ:<br />
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/98624/micro_moth_-_pupa_in_flower_bud_of_brown_knapweed.html<br />
Collage of details of same pupa:<br />
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/98623/micro_moth_-_pupa.html<br />
Exit hole under different flower bud. The larva seems to have a clear preference to chew out the exit hole such that it is hidden behind a leaflet:<br />
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/98629/micro_moth_-_hidden_exit_hole.html<br />
Brown Knapweed,Centaurea jacea,Geotagged,Lepidoptera,Micro moth,Moth Week 2020,Netherlands,nl: Knoopkruid" /></a></figure> Brown Knapweed,Centaurea jacea,Lepidoptera,Micro moth,Moth Week 2020,nl: Knoopkruid

Micro moth - Hidden exit hole

Hidden exit hole of Micro moth just under the flower bud of Brown Knapweed (Centaurea jacea)
For details, refer to description with this image:

Micro moth - Exit hole in Brown Knapweed The other day Tymo showed us some details of the biology of this Micro moth (ID pending)<br />
The little caterpillar/larva munches a corridor in the stem of Brown Knapweed and creates an exit hole for itself to emerge through once it has finished development to imago (planning ahead!), then retracts into the flower bud, feeds some more and pupates - strangely somehow always "backwards" (bum pointing to the exit hole). I opened this flower bud (from the stem) to have a better look...<br />
<br />
Half of stem peeled away to see corridor with frass and the exit hole from the inside:<br />
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/98626/micro_moth_-_frass_in_corridor_to_flower_bud_of_brown_knapweed.html<br />
The pupa in situ:<br />
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/98624/micro_moth_-_pupa_in_flower_bud_of_brown_knapweed.html<br />
Collage of details of same pupa:<br />
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/98623/micro_moth_-_pupa.html<br />
Exit hole under different flower bud. The larva seems to have a clear preference to chew out the exit hole such that it is hidden behind a leaflet:<br />
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/98629/micro_moth_-_hidden_exit_hole.html<br />
Brown Knapweed,Centaurea jacea,Geotagged,Lepidoptera,Micro moth,Moth Week 2020,Netherlands,nl: Knoopkruid

comments (1)

Christine Young

Lion

Really cool find! Posted 3 years ago

Sign in or Join in order to comment.

No species on this photo

It has been indicated that there is no species on this photo.

By Pudding4brains

Public Domain

Uploaded Jul 24, 2020.

country flag of Netherlands

Explore Netherlands 8,176 2,278 0

This photo also appears in

Discover more photo collections