Parectopa thermopsella
Encyclopedia
Parectopa thermopsella is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is known from the United States
(Colorado).
The larva
e feed on Thermopsis fabacea var. montana, Thermopsis montana
and Thermopsis rhombifolia
. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of a flat, irregular mine on the upperside of the leaf.
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 the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(Colorado).
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 Thermopsis fabacea var. montana, Thermopsis montana
Thermopsis montana
Thermopsis montana is a plant species which is native of the western United States.-External links:**...
and Thermopsis rhombifolia
Thermopsis rhombifolia
Thermopsis rhombifolia, also known as Golden Bean, Buffalo Bean, Wet Tooth, and Buffalo Flower, is a hardy perennial native to the North American plains....
. 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 flat, irregular mine on the upperside of the leaf.