About Coleophora alcyonipennella (Kollar, 1832)
This species, scientifically named Coleophora alcyonipennella (Kollar, 1832), has an adult wingspan of 12 to 14 mm. In western Europe, adults have two generations a year, and are active on the wing in May and June, then again in late July and August. Adult Coleophora alcyonipennella feed on nectar from clover flowers. The larvae of this species feed on Trifolium repens and Trifolium fragiferum, feeding inside a protective case created from a plant floret. Larvae have also been recorded feeding on Medicago species. This moth is native to Europe, the eastern Palearctic realm, Pakistan, the Near East, and North Africa. It has been introduced as an exotic species to New Zealand and Australia, where it is currently found across southern Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania.
