Stigmella sophorae
Encyclopedia
Stigmella sophorae is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found in New Zealand
.
The length of the forewings is about 3 mm. Adults have been recorded in February and from August to December. There is one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Sophora tetraptera and Sophora microphylla. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts in random loops and later fills all space between cuticles. There is one mine per leaflet, but adjacent leaflets are often occupied.The frass is green originally, but soon turns grey. Immature mines are paler green than the leaflet. Larva have been recorded from April to August. They are 2–3 mm long and pale green.
The cocoon is pale brown and attached to the stem of the 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 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 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 length of the forewings is about 3 mm. Adults have been recorded in February and from August to December. There is one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Sophora tetraptera and Sophora microphylla. 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 starts in random loops and later fills all space between cuticles. There is one mine per leaflet, but adjacent leaflets are often occupied.The frass is green originally, but soon turns grey. Immature mines are paler green than the leaflet. Larva have been recorded from April to August. They are 2–3 mm long and pale green.
The cocoon is pale brown and attached to the stem of the host plant.