Prays fraxinella explained

Prays fraxinella, also known as the ash bud moth, is a moth of the family Plutellidae found in Europe. The larvae are leaf miners, feeding on the leaves and buds of ash trees.

Description

The wingspan is 14–18 mm. The head is white or greyish ochreous. Forewings are white or greyish-ochreous; some blackish dorsal strigulae; a triangular blackish blotch, lighter or mixed with whitish on costa, extending along costa from near base to 2/3; some irregular blackish marks towards termen; sometimes the whole wing is unicolorous dark fuscous. Hind wings are rather dark grey. The larva is greenish, marbled with red -brown above; dorsal line deep green; head pale brown, dark-spotted; 2 with two black spots.^[1]

Adults are on wing from May to June and again in August in two generations depending on the location.^[2]

Prays fraxinella has two colour forms, the typical white and black colouration and the melanic form f.rustica.

Recently, the form f.rustica, that has an orange head has been separated into an entirely new species, Prays ruficeps.

OvumEggs are laid on the twigs of ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and manna ash (Fraxinus ornus) in June and July.^[3]

LarvaWhen fully fed the larvae are 12 mm long and the body is greenish, with the head brown with black spots. As a juvenile leaf miner, the body is yellowish with a black head and anal plate, and as a bark miner the body is whitish.^{[3] [4]}

PupaThe larvae pupate in an open network cocoon and can be found in May or June.^[3]

References

• Bjerkander, C. (1784) Insect-Calender, for år 1784. Kongl. Vetenskaps Academiens nya Handlingar 5: 319–329. Stockholm (Johan Georg Lange).
• Millard, P. (2013) Prays fraxinella (Bjerkander) (Lep.: Praydidae) is not monophagous on Ash. The Entomologist's Record and Journal of Variation 125 (5): 171.
• Stainton, H. T. (1870) The natural history of the Tineina 11: I-XIII, 1-330, pl. I-VIII. London (John van Voorst) – Paris (Deyrolle) – Berlin (E. S. Mittler und Sohn). as Prays curtisellus.

External links

• Swedish Moths

Notes and References

1. Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London pdf Keys and description
2. Web site: Kimber . Ian . Ash Bud Moth Prays fraxinella (Bjerkander, 1784) . UKmoths . 15 February 2023.
3. Book: Agassiz . D J L . Emmet . A Maitland . A. Maitland Emmet . Yponomeutidae. In Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. Volume 3 . 1996 . Harley Books . Colchester . 0-946589-56-9 . 68-9.
4. Web site: Ellis . W N . Prays fraxinella (Bjerkander, 1784) ash-bud moth . Plant Parasites of Europe . 15 February 2023.