Phyllonorycter mariaeella
Encyclopedia
Phyllonorycter mariaeella is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is known from Canada
(Québec and Ontario) and the United States
(Missouri and Michigan).
The wingspan
is 8-8.5 mm.
The larva
e feed on Symphoricarpos
species, including Symphoricarpos orbiculatus
, Symphoricarpos symphoricarpos and Symphoricarpos vulgaris. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of a blotch mine on the underside of the leaf. Pupation takes place within an ovoid white silken 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...
(Québec and Ontario) and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(Missouri and Michigan).
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 8-8.5 mm.
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 Symphoricarpos
Symphoricarpos
Symphoricarpos, with common names in English of Snowberry, Waxberry or Ghostberry, is a small genus of about 15 species of deciduous shrubs in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae. All species are natives of North and Central America, except one native to western China...
species, including Symphoricarpos orbiculatus
Symphoricarpos orbiculatus
Symphoricarpos orbiculatus, commonly called coralberry, buckbrush or Indian currant is a woody species of flowering plant in the honeysuckle family.-Description:...
, Symphoricarpos symphoricarpos and Symphoricarpos vulgaris. 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 blotch mine on the underside of the leaf. Pupation takes place within an ovoid white silken cocoon.