Yellow-barred Long-horn (Nemophora degeerella)

Scientific name: Nemophora degeerella (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: Yellow-barred Long-horn
Other names: Degeer's Longhorn
French name: Coquille d'or
Order: Lepidoptera
Suborder: Microlepidoptera
Family: Adelidae
Subfamily: Adelinae
Wingspan: 16-23 mm.
Biotope: Deciduous woodlands, open woodlands, parks.
Geographic area: Europe.
Flight time: Mid May to July.
Number of generations : 1
Caterpillar: The caterpillar feeds on leaves on trees before going down to the ground where it lives inside a portable case.
Host plant: Dead leaves of Birch trees.

Adelidae moths are noticeable by the length of their antennae, especially for males.
Male Yellow-barred Long-horns have antennae which can reach four times the length of the wings. Female Yellow-barred Long-horns' antennae are shorter, about the same length as the wings. They are thickened on their first half from the base.
The fore wings are a shiny ochreous colour and longitudinally striated with dark brown. They are crossed by a yellow band bordered with purple brown.
The hind wings are purple brown.
There is a possible confusion with the Small Barred Long-horn (Adela croesella) which is a slightly smaller size. The cross band is located in the middle of the wing on Adela croesella, it is closer to the wing tip (at about two thirds of the wing length) on the Yellow-barred Long-horn.
Yellow-barred Long-horns are used to flying slowly during the day, going upwards and downwards. You can sometimes observe them in large groups.
The Yellow-barred Long-horn over winters as a caterpillar in its portable case.

Yellow-barred Long-horn (Nemophora degeerella) - Yvelines, France - May 28th 2011

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The antennae being about the same length as the wings and being thickened at the base indicate one female.
I had a lot of problem to shoot this picture because of the wind agitating the vegetation and because of the lack of light on this woodland edge. It is not a very good quality. I have kept this picture because this is my first one with this moth species.

Yellow-barred Long-horn (Nemophora degeerella) - Yvelines, France - May 28th 2011

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I have tried a very precise focus on the eyes but the depth of field is too low.
I will have to a buy a new camera to use higher sensitivity without loosing in quality of the picture. My current camera model is rather old and the new ones are doing far better.

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André Bon November 2012