Marmara arbutiella
Encyclopedia
Marmara arbutiella is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is known from Canada
and the United States
(Oregon, Washington and California).
The larva
e feed on Arbutus menziesii, Arbutus unedo and Arctostaphylos
species. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of a very long, irregular, winding, serpentine mine just under the upper epidermis of the leaf. There are three behaviorally and morphologically distinct larval forms. There are six to eight sap-feeding and two non-feeding, structurally differentiated instars. The early instars are legless sap feeders. The first of the non-feeding instars never issues from the cuticle of the previous (feeding) instar. The second non-feeding stage is a fully legged, with rudimentary feeding structures and a functional spinneret. Upon issuing from the mine, this instar spins a cocoon that is elaborately decorated with clusters pearly bubbles that are extruded from its anus and then individually attached to the exterior of the cocoon.
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...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(Oregon, Washington and California).
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 Arbutus menziesii, Arbutus unedo and Arctostaphylos
Arctostaphylos
Arctostaphylos is a genus of plants comprised by the manzanitas and bearberries. They are shrubs or small trees.There are about 60 species of Arctostaphylos, ranging from ground-hugging arctic, coastal, and mountain species to small trees up to 6 m tall. Most are evergreen , with small oval...
species. 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 long, irregular, winding, serpentine mine just under the upper epidermis of the leaf. There are three behaviorally and morphologically distinct larval forms. There are six to eight sap-feeding and two non-feeding, structurally differentiated instars. The early instars are legless sap feeders. The first of the non-feeding instars never issues from the cuticle of the previous (feeding) instar. The second non-feeding stage is a fully legged, with rudimentary feeding structures and a functional spinneret. Upon issuing from the mine, this instar spins a cocoon that is elaborately decorated with clusters pearly bubbles that are extruded from its anus and then individually attached to the exterior of the cocoon.