Elachista alpinella
Encyclopedia
Elachista alpinella is a moth
of the Elachistidae
family. It is found from Fennoscandia
and northern Russia
to the Pyrenees
and Italy
and from Ireland
to central Russia
and Hungary
. It is also found in North America
.
The wingspan
is 9-13 mm.
The larvae feed on Carex acuta
, Carex acutiformis
, Carex paniculata and Carex riparia
. The larvae mine the leaves of their host. The mine is narrow and begins just below the tip of the leaf and runs downwards. It might be found along the leaf margin or in the centre of the leaf. It is thought that the larvae start a new mine after hibernation. This mine is similar to the first, but ends near the leaf base. 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 Elachistidae
Elachistidae
| image = Elachista rufocinerea 2.jpg| image_width = 240px| image_caption = Adult Elachista rufocinerea,demonstrating its tiny size versus an aphid and a spider mite | regnum = Animalia| phylum = Arthropoda| classis = Insecta...
family. It is found from Fennoscandia
Fennoscandia
Fennoscandia and Fenno-Scandinavia are geographic and geological terms used to describe the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Kola Peninsula, Karelia and Finland...
and northern 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...
to the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
and 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 from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to central 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...
and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. It is also found in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
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 9-13 mm.
The larvae feed on Carex acuta
Carex acuta
Carex acuta or Acute Sedge, Slender Tufted-sedge, Slim Sedge can be found growing on the margins of rivers and lakes in the Palaearctic terrestrial ecoregions in beds of wet, alkaline or slightly acid depressions with mineral soil....
, Carex acutiformis
Carex acutiformis
Carex acutiformis, the lesser pond sedge, is a species of sedge.-Description:It grows up to tall, with leaves up to long and wide.-Ecology:...
, Carex paniculata and Carex riparia
Carex riparia
Carex riparia, the greater pond sedge, is a species of sedge found across Europe and Asia. It grows in a variety of wet habitats, and can be a dominant species in some swamps. It is Britain's largest Carex, growing up to tall, with glaucous leaves up to long...
. The larvae mine the leaves of their host. The mine is narrow and begins just below the tip of the leaf and runs downwards. It might be found along the leaf margin or in the centre of the leaf. It is thought that the larvae start a new mine after hibernation. This mine is similar to the first, but ends near the leaf base. Pupation takes place outside of the mine.