Elachista eleochariella
Encyclopedia
Elachista eleochariella is a moth
of the Elachistidae
family. It is found from northern Europe
and northern Russia
to the Pyrenees
and Alps
and from Ireland
to Romania
. It is also found in North America
.
The wingspan
is 7-8 mm.
The larvae feed on Carex flacca
, Carex panicea, Carex nigra, Eleocharis palustris
and Eriophorum angustifolium. The larvae form an upper-surface mine, starting just under the tip of the leaf. They first form a corridor which runs upwards, then doubles, widening all the while, with the final part taking about half the width of the leaf. 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 northern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
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 Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
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 Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. 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 7-8 mm.
The larvae feed on Carex flacca
Carex flacca
Carex flacca, with common names blue sedge, gray carex, glaucous sedge, or carnation-grass, , is a species of sedge native to parts of Europe and North Africa....
, Carex panicea, Carex nigra, Eleocharis palustris
Eleocharis palustris
Eleocharis palustris Roem. & Schult. is a species of mat-forming perennial plants in the genus Eleocharis growing in wetlands throughout the Boreal Kingdom. E...
and Eriophorum angustifolium. The larvae form an upper-surface mine, starting just under the tip of the leaf. They first form a corridor which runs upwards, then doubles, widening all the while, with the final part taking about half the width of the leaf. Pupation takes place outside of the mine.