Trifurcula salicinae
Encyclopedia
Trifurcula salicinae is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is endemic to the Canary Islands
.
The larvae feed on Globularia salicina. The mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a faint, fine, straight corridor along the midrib, that is completely filled with frass
. Later the corridor widens considerably, with irregular sides and a heavy frass line that leaves a broad transparent margin at either side. The corridor regularly alternates from upper-surface to lower-surface.
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 endemic to the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
.
The larvae feed on Globularia salicina. 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 faint, fine, straight corridor along the midrib, that is completely filled 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...
. Later the corridor widens considerably, with irregular sides and a heavy frass line that leaves a broad transparent margin at either side. The corridor regularly alternates from upper-surface to lower-surface.