Trifurcula manygoza
Encyclopedia
Trifurcula manygoza is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is only known from Croatia
and north-western Greece
. But is probably also present in other Balkan countries.
The wingspan
is 4.7–6 mm for males and 5.5 mm for females. Larvae have been found in July and adults were collected in June and August.
The larvae feed on Lotus corniculatus
. The mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a narrow, rather straight gallery with frass
in thin central line, often close to leaf margin, suddenly enlarging into a large blotch, often consuming the entire leaflet. Pupation takes place outside of the mine. The mines are inseparable from those of Trifurcula cryptella
on the same host, so that vacated mines on Lotus in the Balkan area, where both species occur, cannot be identified.
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 only known from Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
and north-western Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. But is probably also present in other Balkan countries.
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 4.7–6 mm for males and 5.5 mm for females. Larvae have been found in July and adults were collected in June and August.
The larvae feed on 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...
. The 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 narrow, rather straight gallery with 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...
in thin central line, often close to leaf margin, suddenly enlarging into a large blotch, often consuming the entire leaflet. Pupation takes place outside of the mine. The mines are inseparable from those of Trifurcula cryptella
Trifurcula cryptella
Trifurcula cryptella is a moth of the Nepticulidae family. It is widespread throughout Europe, northwards to southern parts of Norway and Sweden , eastwards to Poland and the Balkan Peninsula, and south to the Mediterranean countries, but there it is rare and confined to mountainous regions...
on the same host, so that vacated mines on Lotus in the Balkan area, where both species occur, cannot be identified.