Mesophleps silacella, the straw crest, is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is found in Europe, Turkey and Algeria.

Mesophleps silacella
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Gelechiidae
Genus:	Mesophleps
Species:	M. silacella
Binomial name
Mesophleps silacella (Hübner, 1796)
Synonyms
Tinea silacella Hübner, 1796 Tinea pyropella Hübner, 1793 (preocc. [Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Recurvaria silacea Haworth, 1828 Mesophleps pudicellus var. apicellus Caradja, 1920 Mesophleps silacellus calaritanus Amsel, 1939 Tinea luteella Hübner, 1796

The wingspan is 9–17 mm. The forewings are pale yellow, the distal half of the costa with brown and sometimes with a black edge. Adults have been recorded on the wing in June.

The larvae feed on Helianthemum species (including Helianthemum nummularium and Helianthemum tuberosum) and Fumana procumbens.[1] The larvae have been described as pale reddish with a honey yellow head. They have been recorded in April, May, June and August.

References

Wikispecies has information related to Mesophleps silacella.

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