About Psychoides filicivora (Meyrick, 1937)
Psychoides filicivora (Meyrick, 1937) is a species of moth in the family Tineidae, first formally described by Edward Meyrick in 1937. The earliest confirmed specimens of this moth in Ireland date back to 1909, and it has been hypothesized that the species was introduced to Ireland via imported ferns originating from Asia. This moth can be found active from spring through autumn across multiple generations each year, and the species overwinters in its larval form. The moth was first discovered at Seapoint, County Dublin, Ireland by Bryan Beirne, and this location is the species’ type locality. Older specimens collected from this same locality were later identified, confirming the species was present at the site as early as 1909. The first published record of the moth outside Ireland came from Bournemouth, England in 1940. There is an unconfirmed earlier possible record from around 1856, when a Mr Drane found larvae of the species on wall-rue (Asplenium ruta-muraria) at Caerphilly, Wales. These larvae were originally identified as Psychoides verhuella at the time, but they are far more likely to be Psychoides filicivora. Since 1940, the moth has mostly been recorded in coastal locations across England, Northern Ireland, and Wales. In the 1990s, the species was discovered in undisturbed laurel forests on Madeira, leading to suggestions that it may be native there. A related species of this moth occurs in Japan, and most sources agree it is possible that P. filicivora was imported to Europe from Asia on ferns. However, it is also possible that the species is endemic to Madeira, and was imported to Britain and Ireland from Madeira on ferns instead.
