Stigmella cathepostis is a moth

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 Nepticulidae

Nepticulidae

Nepticulidae is a family of very small moths with a worldwide distribution. They are characterised by eyecaps over the eyes . These pigmy moths or midget moths, as they are commonly known, include the smallest of all living moths, with a wingspan that can be as little as 3 mm...

 family. It is only known from Kyushu

Kyushu

is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....

 in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

.

There might be up to three generations per year.

The larvae feed on Carpinus tschonoskii. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a linear, nearly full depth gallery which is restricted by mid-rib and lateral veins. The early part of the mine is slender, later it becomes gradually broader, and runs along veins. The mine is whitish green to whitish brown, with a dark brown frass line in centre.

External links

• Japanese Species Of The Genus Stigmella (Nepticulidae: Lepidoptera)