Carcina quercana

(Fabricius, 1775)

oak lantern, long-horned flat-body, oak-skeletonizer moth

Carcina quercana is a small in the Peleopodidae (Depressariidae), native to Europe and recently introduced to western North America. It is distinguished by its pastel purple and yellow wing patterning and notably long . The is moderately on deciduous trees, particularly favoring Fagaceae. fly from May to October, with peak activity in July.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Carcina quercana: /ˈkaɹ.sɪ.nə kwɛɹˈkeɪ.nə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Distinguished from the only other European , Carcina ingridmariae, by molecular differences ( barcode divergence >6%) and subtle morphological differences in genitalia; externally the two appear very similar with pink base color, yellow spots, long , and ~2 cm wingspan. Within its range, the combination of small size, purple-tinged ochreous forewings with yellow costal blotches, and long antennae is distinctive.

Habitat

Woodland and garden ; larvae occur on trees, particularly on low sapling, seedling and epicormic growth following storm displacement from higher positions.

Distribution

Native to Europe, distributed from North Africa across large parts of Europe to the Balkans, with eastern limit in the Middle East; recently introduced to British Columbia and western Washington in North America.

Seasonality

fly from May to October, peaking in July; (single per year) with no evidence for second generation found in 2024 study.

Diet

Moderately on deciduous trees; favors Fagaceae (Quercus and Fagus spp.) and Rosaceae (apple, pear, cherry, plum).

Host Associations

Quercus - larval food plantFagaceae
Fagus - larval food plantFagaceae
Rosaceae fruit trees - larval food plantapple, pear, cherry, plum; minor pest status

Life Cycle

Single per year (); larvae skeletonize leaves under a silken web; occurs before of first generation of specialized .

Behavior

Larvae displaced from high positions in trees by storms re-establish on low sapling, seedling and epicormic growth; larvae skeletonize leaves under a silken web.

Ecological Role

for specialized Venanides carcinae; parasitoid cocoons subject to hyperparasitism and by vespids or birds. Minor pest of Rosaceae fruit trees.

Human Relevance

Minor pest of Rosaceae fruit trees (apple, pear, cherry, plum); larvae skeletonize leaves under silken webbing. Subject of sequencing research (409 Mb genome, 18,108 protein-coding genes). Featured on cover of British identification book due to popularity among amateur researchers.

Similar Taxa

Carcina ingridmariaeOnly other European ; externally very similar in size (~2 cm wingspan), pink base color with yellow spots, and long ; distinguished by >6% barcode divergence and genital .

More Details

Genome resources

sequenced from single male individual collected at Hills region, Wytham, Berkshire, UK; assembly spans 409 megabases with 99.96% scaffolded into 30 chromosomal pseudomolecules including Z ; contains 18,108 protein-coding genes.

Parasitoid biology

Specialized Venanides carcinae (Braconidae: Microgastrinae) is a regular solitary parasitoid; survival mechanisms include proportion reaching before parasitoid and high hyperparasitism rates on parasitoid cocoons.