Vulcaniella klimeschi
Encyclopedia
Vulcaniella klimeschi is a moth
of the Cosmopterigidae
family. It is found in Macedonia
, mainland Greece
and Crete
.
The larvae feed on Salvia ringens
. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a full depth corridor along the midrib, continued in a blotch. The inside of the mine is covered with silk, and contains no frass
. The larva constructs a silken case at the beginning of the mine. The case is covered with frass.
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 in Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
, mainland Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
.
The larvae feed on Salvia ringens
Salvia ringens
Salvia ringens is a hardy herbaceous perennial native to the southern and eastern parts of the Balkan Peninsula, with many colonies growing on Mount Olympus, the traditional "home of the gods", at altitudes up to . Elsewhere, it grows in scrub and coniferous woodland between and...
. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a full depth corridor along the midrib, continued in a blotch. The inside of the mine is covered with silk, and contains no 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...
. The larva constructs a silken case at the beginning of the mine. The case is covered with frass.