Stigmella alnetella
Encyclopedia
Stigmella alnetella is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found in all of Europe
, except the Balkan Peninsula.
The wingspan
is 3.9-4.8 mm.
The larvae feed on Alnus cordata and Alnus glutinosa. The mine the leaves of their host plant. There is usually only one mine in a leaf. Pupation takes place outside of 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 Nepticulidae
Nepticulidae
Nepticulidae is a family of very small moths with a worldwide distribution. They are characterised by eyecaps over the eyes . These pigmy moths or midget moths, as they are commonly known, include the smallest of all living moths, with a wingspan that can be as little as 3 mm...
family. It is found in all of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, except the Balkan Peninsula.
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 3.9-4.8 mm.
The larvae feed on Alnus cordata and Alnus glutinosa. The mine the leaves of their host plant. There is usually only one mine in a leaf. Pupation takes place outside of the mine.