Stigmella zelleriella
Encyclopedia
Stigmella zelleriella is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found from Fennoscandia
and northern Russia
to the Alps
and from Ireland
to central Russia
.
Some authors consider the form lappovimella to be a distinct species. It occurs in northern Fennoscandia
.
The wingspan
is 4.5-6.2 mm. Adults are on wing from April to September.
The larvae feed on Salix lapponum, Salix repens and Salix repens arenaria. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a short gallery, often partly following the leaf margin, almost completely stuffed with frass. The corridor gradually widens into a blotch that can occupy up to half of 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 from Fennoscandia
Fennoscandia
Fennoscandia and Fenno-Scandinavia are geographic and geological terms used to describe the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Kola Peninsula, Karelia and Finland...
and northern 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...
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....
and from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to central 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...
.
Some authors consider the form lappovimella to be a distinct species. It occurs in northern Fennoscandia
Fennoscandia
Fennoscandia and Fenno-Scandinavia are geographic and geological terms used to describe the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Kola Peninsula, Karelia and Finland...
.
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 4.5-6.2 mm. Adults are on wing from April to September.
The larvae feed on Salix lapponum, Salix repens and Salix repens arenaria. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a short gallery, often partly following the leaf margin, almost completely stuffed with frass. The corridor gradually widens into a blotch that can occupy up to half of a leaf. Pupation takes place outside of the mine.