Hypsopygia glaucinalis is a moth of the family Pyralidae. It is sometimes[1] placed in the genusOrthopygia either alone or with a few other species. Being the type species of Orthopygia, as soon as O. glaucinalis is placed in Ocrasa (as is done here) "Orthopygia" is abolished. To further complicate matters, Ocrasa is now mostly treated as a synonym or subgenus of Hypsopygia.
The wingspan is 23–31 mm. The forewings are brownish-grey, on costa purplish; median part of costa dotted with yellow; lines pale ochreous, nearly straight, stronger and yellower on costa.
Hindwings grey; two fine whitish approximated lines, first twice sub angulated, second curved.The larva is blackish-green, lighter laterally; head and plate of 2 lighter: in silken galleries amongst decaying leaves and twigs of birch.[2][3][4][5]
The adults fly from June to October in the temperate parts of its range (such as Belgium and the Netherlands).
Figs 3. 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d larvae in various stages in accumulations of twigs and rubbish at knots of birch
The caterpillars feed on decaying plants and dry leaves. They have been found in some fairly unusual locations, such as Buteo nests, straw and thatching, and discarded paper.[6]
^Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London pdf This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Keys and description
Grabe, Albert (1942): Eigenartige Geschmacksrichtungen bei Kleinschmetterlingsraupen ["Strange tastes among micromoth caterpillars"]. Zeitschrift des Wiener Entomologen-Vereins27: 105-109 [in German]. PDF fulltext
Savela, Markku (2005): Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and some other life forms – Orthopygia. Version of 2005-SEP-08. Retrieved 2010-APR-12.
