title: Psychoides verhuella
text: # Psychoides verhuella
  
  Psychoides verhuella is a moth of the family Tineidae found in Europe. It was first described in 1853, by Charles Théophile Bruand d'Uzelle from a specimen from Besançon, France. It is the type species of the genus Psychoides, also raised by Charles Bruand in 1853. The larvae feed on ferns.
  
  ## Life cycle
  
  ### Larva
  
  Larvae feed from August to June, initially in a whitish mine in the frond, and in the spring they leave the mine and burrow into a sorus, feeding on the sporangia. They later form a loose, portable case from empty sporangia and when fully grown in May the case resembles a misplaced sorus, especially on hart's-tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium). The larva is yellowish white with a brownish dorsa line and has a black head and black prothoracic plate.
  
  The following ferns have been recorded as food plants,
  
  * rustyback (Asplenium ceterach)
  * wall-rue (Asplenium ruta-muraria)
  * hart's-tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium)
  * maidenhair spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes)
  * bracken (Pteridium aquilinum)
  
  Larva of another moth, Psychoides filicivora also feed on ferns. It has a pale-brown head and a pale-brown posterial margin, which has a split in the middle, compared with the black head and prothoracic plate of Psychoides verhuella.
  
  ### Pupa
  
  In a larval case, which is often against the midrib of the food plant. Can be found in May and June.
  
  ### Imago
  
  Single brooded, the moth flies in June and July, in early morning and late afternoon sunshine. Occasionally comes to light. The grey to dark grey monochrome forewings have a violet reflection and lack the white tornal spot of Psychoides filicivora. The antennae are wire-shaped and just over half as long as the front wings.
  
  ## Distribution
  
  Found in Europe, this species has been recorded from the following countries and regions; Austria, Belgium, Channel Islands, Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain (local distribution), Hungary, Ireland, Poland and Romania.
  
  ## Etymology
  
  Psychoides was raised by Charles Braund in 1853 and comes from psukhē – of the soul, i.e. a moth of the family Psychidae and eidos – form, that is from the similarity of this species to moths of the Psychidae. The specific name verhuella is in honour of the mid-19th century Dutch entomologist, Q M R Verhuell.
  
  