Cremastobombycia solidaginis
Encyclopedia
Cremastobombycia solidaginis is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is known from Quebec
and the United States
(Florida, Texas, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Michigan).
The wingspan
is 7–9 mm.
The larva
e feed on Baccharis pilularis
and Solidago species, including Solidago altissima
, Solidago bicolor, Solidago caesia
, Solidago canadensis
, Solidago fistulosa, Solidago gigantea
, Solidago patula
and Solidago rugosa
. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of an elongate, wrinkled mine on the underside of the leaf. Pupation takes place within a dense white cocoon, marked with longitudinal ridges. It is suspended hammock-like within the mine, by a single silken thread at the anterior end and by two diverging threads at the posterior end. When the imago emerges the pupa case is thrust through the upper epidermis.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Gracillariidae
Gracillariidae
Gracillariidae is an important family of insects in the order Lepidoptera and the principal family of leaf miners that includes several economic, horticultural or recently invasive pest species such as the horse-chestnut leaf miner, Cameraria ohridella....
family. It is known from Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(Florida, Texas, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Michigan).
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 7–9 mm.
The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e feed on Baccharis pilularis
Baccharis pilularis
Baccharis pilularis, called Coyote Brush , Chaparral Broom, and Bush Baccharis, is a shrub in the Asteraceae that grows in California, Oregon, and Baja California.-Description:...
and Solidago species, including Solidago altissima
Solidago altissima
Solidago altissima, late goldenrod, is a species of goldenrod native to much of North America. It is common in much of its range, and fairly tolerant of landscapes which have been disturbed by humans. It has been introduced to many parts of the world.-Description:S. altissima is one to two meters...
, Solidago bicolor, Solidago caesia
Solidago caesia
Solidago caesia, or Blue-Stemmed Goldenrod, is a flowering plant in the United States....
, Solidago canadensis
Solidago canadensis
Solidago canadensis is an herbaceous perennial plant of the family Asteraceae native to North America. It is often grown as a wildflower....
, Solidago fistulosa, Solidago gigantea
Solidago gigantea
Solidago gigantea is a plant species in the genus Solidago. Its common name is giant goldenrod.It is the state flower of Kentucky and Nebraska.-External links:****...
, Solidago patula
Solidago patula
Solidago patula is a species of goldenrod found in wetlands, especially swamps, fens & sedge meadows. It is native to most of the eastern United States, as far west as Wisconsin and Texas. There are two subspecies....
and Solidago rugosa
Solidago rugosa
Solidago rugosa, or Wrinkle Leaf Goldenrod, is a flowering plant in the United States....
. They mine
Leaf miner
Leaf miner is a term used to describe the larvae of many different species of insect which live in and eat the leaf tissue of plants. The vast majority of leaf-mining insects are moths , sawflies and flies , though some beetles and wasps also exhibit this behavior.Like Woodboring beetles, leaf...
the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of an elongate, wrinkled mine on the underside of the leaf. Pupation takes place within a dense white cocoon, marked with longitudinal ridges. It is suspended hammock-like within the mine, by a single silken thread at the anterior end and by two diverging threads at the posterior end. When the imago emerges the pupa case is thrust through the upper epidermis.