Elachista humilis
Encyclopedia
Elachista humilis is a moth
of the Elachistidae
family. It is found in most of Europe, except the Iberian Peninsula
and the Balkan Peninsula.
The wingspan
is 9-10 mm. Adults are on wing from May to July. There are two generations per year.
Larvae have been recorded on Agrostis
, Anthoxanthum odoratum
, Carex
, Deschampsia cespitosa, Festuca, Holcus lanatus, Phalaris arundinacea and Poa pratensis, but Deschampsia cespitosa is the main hostplant. The other records are not all equally trustworthy because of possible confusion with Elachista canapennella
.
The young larvae make a short corridor that is stuffed with frass in spring. After hibernation, they vacate this mine and make a number of elongated blotches, all descending from the leaf tip.
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 in most of Europe, except the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
and the Balkan Peninsula.
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 9-10 mm. Adults are on wing from May to July. There are two generations per year.
Larvae have been recorded on Agrostis
Agrostis
Agrostis is a genus of over 100 species belonging to the grass family Poaceae, commonly referred to as the bent grasses...
, Anthoxanthum odoratum
Anthoxanthum odoratum
-Introduction:Anthoxanthum odoratum, known as sweet vernal grass, holy grass, vanilla grass or buffalo grass, is a short-lived grass found wild in acidic grassland in Eurasia. It is also grown as a lawn grass and a house plant, due to its sweet scent, and can also be found on unimproved pastures...
, Carex
Carex
Carex is a genus of plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges. Other members of the Cyperaceae family are also called sedges, however those of genus Carex may be called "true" sedges, and it is the most species-rich genus in the family. The study of Carex is known as...
, Deschampsia cespitosa, Festuca, Holcus lanatus, Phalaris arundinacea and Poa pratensis, but Deschampsia cespitosa is the main hostplant. The other records are not all equally trustworthy because of possible confusion with Elachista canapennella
Elachista canapennella
Elachista canapennella is a moth of the Elachistidae family. It is found from Fennoscandia and northern Russia to the Pyrenees, Italy and Romania and from Ireland to central Russia....
.
The young larvae make a short corridor that is stuffed with frass in spring. After hibernation, they vacate this mine and make a number of elongated blotches, all descending from the leaf tip.