Caloptilia invariabilis
Encyclopedia
The Cherry Leaf-cone Caterpillar Moth (Caloptilia invariabilis) is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is known from Canada
(Nova Scotia, Ontario and Québec) and the United States
(California, Vermont and Tennessee).
The wingspan
is about 15 mm.
The larva
e feed on Prunus angustifolia
, Prunus pennsylvanica, Prunus serotina and Prunus virginiana. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of a very indistinct whitish linear mine ending in a small underside blotch. The parenchyma is consumed and the epidermis somewhat wrinkled. When the mine is at the margin of the leaf, the edge is folded under.
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 Gracillariidae
Gracillariidae
Gracillariidae is an important family of insects in the order Lepidoptera and the principal family of leaf miners that includes several economic, horticultural or recently invasive pest species such as the horse-chestnut leaf miner, Cameraria ohridella....
family. It is known from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(Nova Scotia, Ontario and Québec) and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(California, Vermont and Tennessee).
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 15 mm.
The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e feed on Prunus angustifolia
Prunus angustifolia
Prunus angustifolia pronounced , known commonly as Chickasaw Plum, Cherokee plum, Florida sand plum, sandhill plum, or sand plum, is a plum bearing tree native to North America. It was originally cultivated by Native Americans before the arrival of Europeans...
, Prunus pennsylvanica, Prunus serotina and Prunus virginiana. They 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 has the form of a very indistinct whitish linear mine ending in a small underside blotch. The parenchyma is consumed and the epidermis somewhat wrinkled. When the mine is at the margin of the leaf, the edge is folded under.