Dialectica scalariella
Encyclopedia
The Echium Leaf Miner is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is found from France
to the Iberian Peninsula
, Italy
and the Balkan Peninsula. Recently an imago was found in Great Britain
. It was introduced in Australia
for the biological control of the weed Echium plantagineum and has since spread to New Zealand
.
The larvae feed on Anchusa strigosa, Borago
, Cynoglossum creticum, Echium aculeatum, Echium giganteum, Echium plantagineum, Echium vulgare, Myosotis latifolia
and Symphytum officinale
. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine is lower-surface and starts at a flat, iridiscent egg shell, then an undulating epidermal corridor that abruptly widens into an elliptic blotch of. The blotch almost fills all space between the midrib and the leaf margin. The blotch has two levels and a silken cocoon is attached to the roof of the upper floor. The frass
is concentrated in a very thin, continuous pale brown line and is coiled in the corridor part.
The pupa lies naked in the mine.
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 found from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and the Balkan Peninsula. Recently an imago was found in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. It was introduced in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
for the biological control of the weed Echium plantagineum and has since spread to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
The larvae feed on Anchusa strigosa, Borago
Borago
Borago , common name borage, is a genus of two species of herbs with large, hairy leaves that taste mildly of cucumber, and star-shaped purple-blue flowers which are prized for their flavour. The leaves are often added to teas and salads, and the flowers have been added to wine...
, Cynoglossum creticum, Echium aculeatum, Echium giganteum, Echium plantagineum, Echium vulgare, Myosotis latifolia
Myosotis latifolia
Myosotis latifolia is a species of forget-me-not known by the common name broadleaf forget-me-not. It is native to northwestern Africa, and it is known elsewhere as an introduced species, including the west coast of the United States. It grows in many types of habitat, including moist, shaded,...
and Symphytum officinale
Symphytum officinale
Symphytum officinale is a perennial flowering plant of the genus Symphytum in the family Boraginaceae. Along with several other species of Symphytum, it is commonly known as comfrey. To differentiate it from other comfreys, this species may be known as common comfrey, Quaker comfrey, and cultivated...
. 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 is lower-surface and starts at a flat, iridiscent egg shell, then an undulating epidermal corridor that abruptly widens into an elliptic blotch of. The blotch almost fills all space between the midrib and the leaf margin. The blotch has two levels and a silken cocoon is attached to the roof of the upper floor. The frass
Frass
Frass is the fine powdery material phytophagous insects pass as waste after digesting plant parts. It causes plants to excrete chitinase due to high chitin levels, it is a natural bloom stimulant, and has high nutrient levels. Frass is known to have abundant amoeba, beneficial bacteria, and fungi...
is concentrated in a very thin, continuous pale brown line and is coiled in the corridor part.
The pupa lies naked in the mine.