Trifurcula saccharella
Encyclopedia
Trifurcula saccharella is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found in Ohio
.
The wingspan
is about 4 mm. Mined leaves may be collected in early July and late August; sometimes the larvae of a third generation are found in October. Moths from the overwintering pupae emerge in May and June.
The larvae feed on Acer saccharum and Acer rubrum. The mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a long serpentine mine, in which the loosened epidermis is pale green and a black line of frass
extends through the middle of the mine. The larvae are pale green and the cocoon is ocherous, regularly oval, much flattened and smooth, with projecting rim extending entirely around it.
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 in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
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 about 4 mm. Mined leaves may be collected in early July and late August; sometimes the larvae of a third generation are found in October. Moths from the overwintering pupae emerge in May and June.
The larvae feed on Acer saccharum and Acer rubrum. 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 long serpentine mine, in which the loosened epidermis is pale green and a black line of 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...
extends through the middle of the mine. The larvae are pale green and the cocoon is ocherous, regularly oval, much flattened and smooth, with projecting rim extending entirely around it.