Androconia

Androconia are the scent scales on the wings of adult male insects. The androconia often form black areas on the fore wings of male butterflies and moths. The scales produce pheromones which are used to attract females, females do not have androconia.

Butterflies that have androconia include Wall Brown and the Silver-washed Fritillary.

A photograph of androconia on the fore wing of a Silver-washed Fritillary. The androconia are arranged in to four, black, parallel stripes in the centre of the wing.
Photograph by Hans-Peter licensed under Creative Commons.

Related terms

• Frenulum
• Imago
• Lepidoptera
• Pheromone

Related groups of terms

• Invertebrate body structure

Related pages on this web site

• Insect body structure

See other words beginning with A