About Bryotropha affinis (Haworth, 1828)
Bryotropha affinis is a moth species belonging to the family Gelechiidae. It can be found in most regions of Europe. The wingspan of this moth ranges from 9 to 12 millimeters. The terminal joint of its palpi is longer than the second joint. Its forewings are dark fuscous, sprinkled with whitish scales; they have a yellow-whitish basal dot, and usually a small black spot in the disc toward the base. The stigmata are black; the plical stigma is followed by yellow-whitish scales, and the two discal stigmata are connected by yellow-whitish scales. There is a fine, obtusely angulated yellowish-white fascia at three-quarters of the forewing length, which is sometimes interrupted. The hindwings are light grey. The larva is pinkish, it is paler on each side of the dorsal line, and has darker marbling on its sides; its dots are black and very inconspicuous, and the head and the second thoracic plate are black. Stainton’s confinis appears to be a dark-colored northern form of this species. In the United Kingdom, adult moths are on wing from June to July; more generally across the species’ range, adults can be seen from May to September. The larvae feed on mosses that grow on walls and thatch, in both open country and urban areas.
