Philodoria dubautiella
Encyclopedia
Philodoria dubautiella is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is endemic to Oahu
.
The larvae feed on Dubautia plantaginea
. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a very slender corridor, situated lengthwise in the leaf and running back and forth a few times, but eventually broadening to a blotch. A purplish discoloration is produced in the leaf, forming streaks following the course of the mines. Often several mines are found in the same leaf. Full-grown larvae are 6-7 mm long and pale greenish-yellow.
The pupa is about 4 mm long and pale greenish. The pupa is formed in a cocoon within 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 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 endemic to Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
.
The larvae feed on Dubautia plantaginea
Dubautia plantaginea
Dubautia plantaginea is a rare species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name plantainleaf dubautia. It is endemic to Hawaii where it is the only member of the silversword alliance that is found on all six of the largest islands . Two of the three subspecies are rare and...
. 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 consists of a very slender corridor, situated lengthwise in the leaf and running back and forth a few times, but eventually broadening to a blotch. A purplish discoloration is produced in the leaf, forming streaks following the course of the mines. Often several mines are found in the same leaf. Full-grown larvae are 6-7 mm long and pale greenish-yellow.
The pupa is about 4 mm long and pale greenish. The pupa is formed in a cocoon within the mine.