title: Phycita diaphana
text: # Phycita diaphana
  
  Phycita diaphana is a species of snout moth. It is found in Portugal, Spain, Greece, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion, Yemen, Western Sahara and Israel.
  
  ## Description
  
  The wingspan is 23–26 mm.
  
  ## Biology
  
  Phycita diaphana is a common, invasive pest of Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae) throughout the Mediterranean region. In addition to R. communis, Ph. diaphana larvae are also found feeding on Populus euphranica Oliv. (Salicaceae) and Chrozophora tintoria (L.) (= verbascifolia (Willd.)) (Euphorbiaceae). Yelicones iranus (Fischer, 1963) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Rogadinae) has been reported as a parasitoid of caterpillars of Phycita diaphana in Israel.
  
  