| Pempelia genistella | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Pyralidae |
| Tribe: | Phycitini |
| Genus: | Pempelia |
| Species: | P. genistella |
| Binomial name | |
| Pempelia genistella (Duponchel, 1836) |
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| Synonyms | |
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The Gorse Colonial Hard Shoot Moth (Pempelia genistella) is a moth of the Pyralidae family. It is native to south-western Europe and north-western Africa, but has been introduced as a biological control agent for gorse in New Zealand and Hawaii.
The wingspan is 26-29 mm. Adults are on wing in July in western Europe.
The larvae feed on the needles of Ulex europaeus in which they spin a dense, conspicuous silken communal web.