Dialectica aemula
Encyclopedia
Dialectica aemula is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is known from Australia
(the Northern Territory
, Tasmania
, Queensland
and Victoria
), India
(Bihar) and Nepal
.
The adult is similar to Dialectica scalariella
, which was introduced deliberately into Australia, but the cocoons are more easily distinguished.
The larva
e feed on Cynoglossum
species (including Cynoglossum australe, Cynoglossum lanceolatum and Cynoglossum suaveolens), Trichodesma indicum and Trichodesma zeylanicum
. They mine
the leaves of their host plant.
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 Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
), India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
(Bihar) and Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
.
The adult is similar to Dialectica scalariella
Dialectica scalariella
The Echium Leaf Miner is a moth of the Gracillariidae family. It is found from France to the Iberian Peninsula, Italy and the Balkan Peninsula. Recently an imago was found in Great Britain...
, which was introduced deliberately into Australia, but the cocoons are more easily distinguished.
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 Cynoglossum
Cynoglossum
There are many species in the plant genus Cynoglossum . They are coarse-appearing, small-flowered plants of the family Boraginaceae. Cynoglossum officinale, the common hound's-tongue, is a native of Asia, Africa, and Europe. It has been introduced into North America, and it is considered to be a...
species (including Cynoglossum australe, Cynoglossum lanceolatum and Cynoglossum suaveolens), Trichodesma indicum and Trichodesma zeylanicum
Trichodesma zeylanicum
Trichodesma zeylanicum, commonly known as Camel Bush or Cattle Bush, is a herb or shrub native to Australia.-Description:It grows as an erect herb or shrub up to two metres high, with a well-developed taproot. Flowers are blue, or rarely white.-Taxonomy:This species was first published as Borago...
. 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.