Trifurcula subnitidella
Encyclopedia
Trifurcula subnitidella is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is widespread in Europe
, southward to the northern border of the Sahara
in Tunisia
and eastward to the Crimea
and Asia minor
.
The wingspan
is 4.2-5.8 mm for males and 4.4-5.4 mm for females. Larvae have been found in September and October and adults are on wing from May (March in Tunisia) to early September.
The larvae feed on Lotus corniculatus
and possibly other Lotus
species. They mine the bark of their host plant. The mine consists of a long gallery in the bark of the stem. The larva first mines down, then goes up the stem in a rather straight line, or partly encircling the stem, occasionally going down again in the last part of the mine. At first, the mine is narrow, reddish brown, with straight edges, but later becomes as wide as the stem, with irregular margins, becoming silvery white in fresh mines. The frass
is brown and deposited in a central line. 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 in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, southward to the northern border of the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
and eastward to the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
and Asia minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
.
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 4.2-5.8 mm for males and 4.4-5.4 mm for females. Larvae have been found in September and October and adults are on wing from May (March in Tunisia) to early September.
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...
and possibly other Lotus
Lotus (genus)
Lotus is a genus that includes bird's-foot trefoils and deervetches and contains many dozens of species distributed world-wide. Depending on the taxonomic authority, roughly between 70 and 150 are accepted. Lotus is a genus of legume and its members are adapted to a wide range of habitats, from...
species. They mine the bark of their host plant. The mine consists of a long gallery in the bark of the stem. The larva first mines down, then goes up the stem in a rather straight line, or partly encircling the stem, occasionally going down again in the last part of the mine. At first, the mine is narrow, reddish brown, with straight edges, but later becomes as wide as the stem, with irregular margins, becoming silvery white in fresh mines. 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 brown and deposited in a central line. Pupation takes place outside of the mine.