Stigmella sorbi
Encyclopedia
Stigmella sorbi is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found in most of Europe
(except Iceland
, Portugal
, Belgium
and the western part of the Balkan Peninsula), east to the eastern part of the Palearctic ecozone.
The wingspan
is 6–7 mm. Adults are on wing in May.
The larvae feed on Amelanchier, Cotoneaster simonsii, Malus domestica, Sorbus aucuparia
and Sorbus intermedia
. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts as a slender winding corridor, the second part of which is almost stuffed with frass. The then corridor widens into a blotch with dispersed frass. In large leaves this blotch may be almost circular. Normally, the midrib is not crossed, but the mine can occupy the major part of a leaflet. There are often several mines in leaf.
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 most 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 Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and the western part of the Balkan Peninsula), east to the eastern part of the Palearctic ecozone.
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 6–7 mm. Adults are on wing in May.
The larvae feed on Amelanchier, Cotoneaster simonsii, Malus domestica, Sorbus aucuparia
Sorbus aucuparia
Sorbus aucuparia , is a species of the genus Sorbus, native to most of Europe except for the far south, and northern Asia...
and Sorbus intermedia
Sorbus intermedia
Sorbus intermedia is a species of whitebeam in southern Sweden, with scattered occurrences in easternmost Denmark , the far southwest of Finland), the Baltic States, and northern Poland....
. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts as a slender winding corridor, the second part of which is almost stuffed with frass. The then corridor widens into a blotch with dispersed frass. In large leaves this blotch may be almost circular. Normally, the midrib is not crossed, but the mine can occupy the major part of a leaflet. There are often several mines in leaf.