title: Oxyptilus pilosellae
text: # Oxyptilus pilosellae
  
  Oxyptilus pilosellae (hieracium plume moth) is a moth of the family Pterophoridae first described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1841. It is found in most of Europe, east to Russia and Asia Minor. It was released as a biological control agent for Hieracium in New Zealand in 1998.
  
  ## Description
  
  The wingspan is 15–24 mm. Adults are on wing from May to August in western Europe.
  
  Young larvae feed within the roots of hawkweeds (Hieracium species), including mouse-ear hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella). Later instars feed on the flowerheads, beneath a silken web.
  
  