Eucosmophora pouteriae
Encyclopedia
Eucosmophora pouteriae is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is known from Costa Rica
.
The length of the forewings is 3.2-3.6 mm for males and 3.7 mm for females.
The larva
e feed on Pouteria campechiana. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The early mine is serpentine, yellow-tan, with a dark central frass
line. The lower surface of the blotch mine is yellow-brown, and appears to be made well into the parenchyma as it is inconspicuous from both leaf surfaces initially. Mines are often formed close to the midrib. The blotch runs between adjacent lateral veins, but may cross over the veins when situated peripherally on the lamina. Tissue-feeding instars remove patches of parenchyma to the upper leaf surface. The cocoon is chocolate brown.
, of the only recorded larval host.
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 Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
.
The length of the forewings is 3.2-3.6 mm for males and 3.7 mm for females.
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 Pouteria campechiana. 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 early mine is serpentine, yellow-tan, with a dark central 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...
line. The lower surface of the blotch mine is yellow-brown, and appears to be made well into the parenchyma as it is inconspicuous from both leaf surfaces initially. Mines are often formed close to the midrib. The blotch runs between adjacent lateral veins, but may cross over the veins when situated peripherally on the lamina. Tissue-feeding instars remove patches of parenchyma to the upper leaf surface. The cocoon is chocolate brown.
Etymology
The specific name is derived from the generic name, PouteriaPouteria
Pouteria is a genus of flowering trees in the gutta-percha family, Sapotaceae. The genus is widespread throughout the tropical regions of the world. It includes the Canistel , the Mamey Sapote and the Lúcuma...
, of the only recorded larval host.