Phyllonorycter mildredae
Encyclopedia
Phyllonorycter mildredae is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is probably widespread through the eastern United States
but currently reported from only Washington D.C., Kentucky
and Ohio
.
The length of the forewings is 2.4-3 mm. Adults are on wing from April to early May, July and September. There is probably one generation per year with the adults overwintering.
The larva
e feed on Populus alba, Populus canescens, Populus grandidentatum and Salix species. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. They create a relatively small, lower side, tentiform blotch. It is rather inconspicuous ventrally because of the tomentosity of the 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 probably widespread through the eastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
but currently reported from only Washington D.C., Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
The length of the forewings is 2.4-3 mm. Adults are on wing from April to early May, July and September. There is probably one generation per year with the adults overwintering.
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 Populus alba, Populus canescens, Populus grandidentatum and Salix 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. They create a relatively small, lower side, tentiform blotch. It is rather inconspicuous ventrally because of the tomentosity of the host plant.