About Aglossa pinguinalis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Aglossa pinguinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) shows sexual dimorphism in size: males have a 27 mm wingspan, while females have a 37 mm wingspan. Forewing length for this species ranges from 14 to 18 mm.
The forewings are greyish-ochreous or brownish, densely dotted with dark fuscous markings. They feature a blackish subbasal line, and two rather broad, waved obscurely paler lines, both cloudily edged with dark fuscous on both sides. The second line curves outwards in the disc, and a dark fuscous discal spot is also present. The hindwings are fuscous-grey, with a very obscurely indicated paler postmedian line.
The larva of Aglossa pinguinalis is blackish or dark brown, with a blackish head. It lives in silken galleries among chaff and hay refuse.
This species is native to the Palearctic realm. It has been introduced to both North America and New Zealand.
