Stigmella ruficapitella
Encyclopedia
Stigmella ruficapitella is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found in northern and central Europe. It is mostly absent in the Mediterranean region, with the exception
of Mount Olympus
in Greece
and Trieste
. It has recently been recorded from Russia
and Bosnia.
The wingspan
is 4.5–6 mm. Adults are on wing from May to June and from July to August. There are two generations per year.
The larvae feed on Quercus cerris, Quercus petraea, Quercus pubescens and Quercus robur. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine initially consists of a narrow corridor with a thin frass line, soon widening into a fairly long, broad corridor with a largely broad frass line. Mostly, the first part of the mine follows the leaf margin, entering the centre of the leaf after a sharp turn.
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 northern and central Europe. It is mostly absent in the Mediterranean region, with the exception
of Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
. It has recently been recorded from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Bosnia.
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 4.5–6 mm. Adults are on wing from May to June and from July to August. There are two generations per year.
The larvae feed on Quercus cerris, Quercus petraea, Quercus pubescens and Quercus robur. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine initially consists of a narrow corridor with a thin frass line, soon widening into a fairly long, broad corridor with a largely broad frass line. Mostly, the first part of the mine follows the leaf margin, entering the centre of the leaf after a sharp turn.