Olive moth | |
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Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Praydidae |
Genus: | Prays |
Species: | P. oleae
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Binomial name | |
Prays oleae
Bernard, 1788
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Synonyms | |
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Prays oleae (olive moth) is a moth of the family Plutellidae found in Europe.
The wingspan is 11–15 millimetres (3⁄8–5⁄8 in).
The larvae are a pest on olives ( Olea europaea). Other recorded food plants include Phillyrea, jasmine and Ligustrum. They mine the leaves of their host plant which initially consists of an upper-surface, short, narrow corridor. [1]
The moth is found in Southern Europe (the Mediterranean region) and North Africa. It was first found in Great Britain at a garden centre in Surrey in 2009 and has since been found at a light trap in Kent. [2]