Stigmella stelviana
Encyclopedia
Stigmella stelviana is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is endemic to the Alps
, where it is found on heights between 1,900 and 2,600 meters.
The larvae feed on Potentilla crantzii
, Potentilla frigida and Potentilla grandiflora. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a corridor that strongly widens in the end, and may occupy an entire leaf segment. Initially, the frass is concentrated in a frequently interrupted central line. Later it becomes irregularly scattered.
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 endemic to the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, where it is found on heights between 1,900 and 2,600 meters.
The larvae feed on Potentilla crantzii
Potentilla crantzii
Potentilla crantzii is a flowering plant of the genus Potentilla in the family Rosaceae.The synonym P. verna as described by Linnaeus is usually assigned to this plant in recent times. In much of the 20th century botanists tended to believe it referred to P. aurea. Yet earlier authors commonly...
, Potentilla frigida and Potentilla grandiflora. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a corridor that strongly widens in the end, and may occupy an entire leaf segment. Initially, the frass is concentrated in a frequently interrupted central line. Later it becomes irregularly scattered.