Trifurcula peloponnesica
Encyclopedia
Trifurcula peloponnesica is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. Up to now only known with certainty from Peloponnesus in Greece
. In Corsica
, mines have been found that could very well belong to this species.
The wingspan
is 4.6–5.7 mm for males and 4.9–5.3 mm for females.
The larvae feed on Anthyllis hermanniae. The mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a narrow and relatively straight corridor that suddenly widens into an elongate blotch. The frass
is distributed in a thin, interrupted line at first, almost filling the corridor later. 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. Up to now only known with certainty from Peloponnesus in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. In Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, mines have been found that could very well belong to this species.
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 4.6–5.7 mm for males and 4.9–5.3 mm for females.
The larvae feed on Anthyllis hermanniae. 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 and relatively straight corridor that suddenly widens into an elongate blotch. The 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...
is distributed in a thin, interrupted line at first, almost filling the corridor later. Pupation takes place outside of the mine.