Description

Adult

Wingspan of 50-60 mm. Forewings greyish-yellow with a dark brown terminal band and uniform, sometimes kidney shaped, yellow spots. Hindwings brown-grey in colour.

Larvae

Body yellowish to orange. Head brown and prothoracic plate with dark border and pale medial groove. Thoracic legs ringed with black.

Eggs

Spherical shaped, initially yellow and becoming salmon pink with age. Laid in batches at the base of host plant.

Distribution

Mediterranean Europe and North Africa.

Economic Host(s)

Artichoke

Symptoms/Signs

The larvae initially feed on the upper epidermis of leaves, before feeding on the leaf veins, expelling frass from holes. Later instars feed on the head within extensive galleries.

Generations:

1