About Micropterix tunbergella (Fabricius, 1787)
This species has a wingspan of 8–11 millimetres (0.31–0.43 inches). Its forewings are reddish-purple, with indistinct dull golden markings on the apical third of each forewing, and the head is golden-yellow. As a member of the moth family Micropterigidae, this species differs from most other moths by having chewing mouthparts. Adult moths are active during the day in May and June, and they feed on pollen from a range of flowering plants. Confirmed pollen sources include cherry laurel, oaks (Quercus species), sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), and hawthorns (Crataegus species). Little is known about this species' early life stages: the larva, larval food plants, and pupa have not been documented. This moth is distributed across most of Europe, and is absent from Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovenia, and Ukraine.
