| Elachista utonella | |
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| Species: | E. utonella
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| Binomial name | |
| Elachista utonella Frey, 1856[1]
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Elachista utonella is a moth of the Elachistidae family. It is found from Fennoscandia to the Pyrenees and Italy and from Ireland to Romania.
The wingspan is 8-9 mm.[2] There is one generation per year in Great Britain, but there are possibly two generations in continental Europe.[3]
The larvae feed on Carex acutiformis, Carex brizoides, Carex distans, Carex disticha, Carex echinata, Carex elata, Carex flacca, Carex hirta, Carex muricata, Carex paniculata, Carex remota, Carex riparia, Carex spicata, Carex vesicaria, Festuca, Juncus gerardi and Scirus sylvaticus. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine The mine starts halfway the blade as an upwards running corridor. Later, it reverses its course and becomes an elongate blotch occupying half the width of the leaf. The frass is light green at first but becomes grey later. It is deposited in the lowest part of the mine. Pupation takes place outside of the mine.[4] They are yellowish green to greyish with a black head.