Phyllocnistis diaugella
Encyclopedia
Phyllocnistis diaugella is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is known from New South Wales
and Queensland
.
The larva
e feed on Breynia
species (including Breynia oblongifolia
) and Euphorbia sparrmannii. They probably mine
the leaves of their host plant.
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 New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
.
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 Breynia
Breynia
Breynia is a plant genus in the family Phyllanthaceae. It has 35 species, distributed from India to Australia.-Synonymy:This genus is also known under several names:*Foersteria Scop.*Forsteria Steud.*Melanthes Blume...
species (including Breynia oblongifolia
Breynia oblongifolia
Breynia oblongifolia, commonly known as coffee bush, is an Australasian shrub growing to 3 m in height. The species produces alternate, ovate leaves 20–30 mm long. Small, green flowers are produced in spring and summer, and these are followed by followed by orange or pink berries ~6 mm...
) and Euphorbia sparrmannii. They probably 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.