Elachista sicula
Encyclopedia
Elachista sicula is a moth
of the Elachistidae
family. It is found on Sicily
.
The larvae feed on Briza maxima
, Bromus erectus
and Lagurus ovatus
. They mine
the leaves of their host plant.
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 Elachistidae
Elachistidae
| image = Elachista rufocinerea 2.jpg| image_width = 240px| image_caption = Adult Elachista rufocinerea,demonstrating its tiny size versus an aphid and a spider mite | regnum = Animalia| phylum = Arthropoda| classis = Insecta...
family. It is found on Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
.
The larvae feed on Briza maxima
Briza maxima
Briza maxima is a species of the genus Briza, as such it is an annual grass in the family Poaceae. It is native to Northern Africa, the Azores, Western Asia and Southern Europe and is cultivated or naturalised in the British Isles, Australasia, the west of the United States, Central and South...
, Bromus erectus
Bromus erectus
Bromus erectus, commonly known as either upright brome or meadow brome, is a dense, course, tufted perennial grass. It can grow to 120cm. Like many brome grasses the plant is hairy.-Description:...
and Lagurus ovatus
Lagurus ovatus
Lagurus ovatus, commonly called hare's-tail grass, is an annual species of grass indigenous to the Mediterranean. It is an escaped weed in many parts of the world, it is also sometimes grown as an ornamental plant for its attractive flower panicle....
. 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.