Trifurcula cryptella
Encyclopedia
Trifurcula cryptella is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is widespread throughout Europe, northwards to southern parts of Norway
and Sweden
(but not in Finland
), eastwards to Poland
and the Balkan Peninsula, and south to the Mediterranean countries, but there it is rare and confined to mountainous regions. In Italy
it has only been recorded from the northern part, in Portugal
in the Serra da Estrêla, in Spain
in the Cantabrian Mountains
and possibly the Sierra Nevada
. It is absent from the Mediterranean islands.
The wingspan
is 4-4.6 mm.
The larvae feed on Anthyllis montana
, Coronilla coronata, Coronilla emerus, Coronilla emerus emeroides, Coronilla varia, Hippocrepis comosa, Lotus corniculatus
, Lotus hispidus, Lotus pedunculatus and Lotus uliginosus
. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a long corridor with a very broad, green frass
line. This corridor suddenly widens into a broad blotch, that in the end may occupy almost an entire leaflet. 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 widespread throughout Europe, northwards to southern parts of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
(but not in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
), eastwards to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and the Balkan Peninsula, and south to the Mediterranean countries, but there it is rare and confined to mountainous regions. In Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
it has only been recorded from the northern part, in 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...
in the Serra da Estrêla, in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in the Cantabrian Mountains
Cantabrian Mountains
The Cantabrian Mountains or Cantabrian Range are one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain.They extend for more than approximately 180 miles across northern Spain, from the western limit of the Pyrenees to the edges of the Galician Massif close to Galicia, along the coast of the...
and possibly the Sierra Nevada
Sierra Nevada (Spain)
The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range in the region of provinces of Granada and Almería in Spain. It contains the highest point of continental Spain, Mulhacén at 3478 m above sea level....
. It is absent from the Mediterranean islands.
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 4-4.6 mm.
The larvae feed on Anthyllis montana
Anthyllis montana
Anthyllis montana is a species of ornamental plant of Europe. A synonym is Vulneraria montana Scopoli.-External links:* *...
, Coronilla coronata, Coronilla emerus, Coronilla emerus emeroides, Coronilla varia, Hippocrepis comosa, Lotus corniculatus
Lotus corniculatus
Lotus corniculatus is a common flowering plant native to grassland temperate Eurasia and North Africa. The common name is Bird's-foot Trefoil , though the common name is often also applied to other members of the genus...
, Lotus hispidus, Lotus pedunculatus and Lotus uliginosus
Lotus uliginosus
Lotus pedunculatus , Greater Bird's-foot Trefoil or Marsh Bird's-foot Trefoil is a member of the pea family ....
. 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 consists of a long corridor with a very broad, green frass
Frass
Frass is the fine powdery material phytophagous insects pass as waste after digesting plant parts. It causes plants to excrete chitinase due to high chitin levels, it is a natural bloom stimulant, and has high nutrient levels. Frass is known to have abundant amoeba, beneficial bacteria, and fungi...
line. This corridor suddenly widens into a broad blotch, that in the end may occupy almost an entire leaflet. Pupation takes place outside of the mine.