Vulcaniella extremella
Encyclopedia
Vulcaniella extremella is a moth
of the Cosmopterigidae
family. It is found from Poland
to the Iberian Peninsula
, Italy
, and Bulgaria
and from France
to central and southern Russia
.
The larvae feed on Salvia austriaca
, Salvia nemorosa tesquicola
and Salvia pratensis
. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a short corridor, generally along the midrib. When a side vein is reached an irregular, elongate blotch is made that may reach the leaf margin and causes the leaf to contract somewhat. Almost all frass
is ejected through an opening in the basal part of the mine. The larva rest in a tunnel clad with silk.
In spring the larva prefer lower leaves and often change mines. In the summer, the ground leaves have died and the larva live in the stem leaves no longer changing mines.
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 Cosmopterigidae
Cosmopterigidae
Cosmopterigidae is a family of insects in the Lepidoptera order. These are small moths with narrow wings whose tiny larvae feed internally on the leaves, seeds, stems, etc of their host plants. There are about 1,500 described species...
family. It is found from Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
to the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to central and southern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
The larvae feed on Salvia austriaca
Salvia austriaca
Salvia austriaca, or Austrian sage, is a native of high altitudes across Russia and eastern Europe. The plant has a basal rosette of leaves 1 m across, which give off a fetid odor when brushed. The individual leaves are approx. 30 cm long, with indented midrib and veins...
, Salvia nemorosa tesquicola
Salvia nemorosa
Salvia nemorosa is a hardy herbaceous perennial plant native to a wide area of central Europe and Western Asia.It is an attractive plant that is easy to grow and propagate, with the result that it has been passed around by gardeners for many years...
and Salvia pratensis
Salvia pratensis
Salvia pratensis is a herbaceous perennial in the family Lamiaceae, native to Europe, western Asia and northern Africa. The specific epithet pratensis refers to its tendency to grow in meadows...
. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a short corridor, generally along the midrib. When a side vein is reached an irregular, elongate blotch is made that may reach the leaf margin and causes the leaf to contract somewhat. Almost all 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 ejected through an opening in the basal part of the mine. The larva rest in a tunnel clad with silk.
In spring the larva prefer lower leaves and often change mines. In the summer, the ground leaves have died and the larva live in the stem leaves no longer changing mines.