Stigmella hakekeae
Encyclopedia
Stigmella hakekeae is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found in New Zealand
.
The length of the forewings is about 3 mm. Adults have been recorded in every month except March and April. There are four or five generations per year.
The larvae feed on Olearia
species, such as Olearia arborescens, Olearia ilicifolia
, Olearia macrodonta
, Olearia nummularifolia and Olearia paniculata. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a tortuous gallery under upper the epidermal layer, following the rib to the leaf margin, which it then follows. Frass
is deposited against the roof of the mine. A single leaf of O. arborescens may contain many mines, but on O . macrodonta rarely have more than three been found. Larva have been recorded from May to August and in October. They are 3 to 4 mm long and greenish white.
The cocoon is made of brown silk and can be found on the ground.
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 found in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
The length of the forewings is about 3 mm. Adults have been recorded in every month except March and April. There are four or five generations per year.
The larvae feed on Olearia
Olearia
Olearia is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Asteraceae. There are about 130 different species within the genus found mostly in Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand...
species, such as Olearia arborescens, Olearia ilicifolia
Olearia ilicifolia
Mountain Holly is a shrub or small tree endemic to New Zealand also referred to as Hakeke or New Zealand Holly. It is a spreading shrub or small tree of the family Asteraceae, and has largely serrated and undulating grey-green leaves...
, Olearia macrodonta
Olearia macrodonta
Olearia macrodontia is a small sub-alpine evergreen tree endemic to New Zealand, from the plant family Asteraceae. It is closely related to the narrow leaved Olearia ilicifolia, with which it shares several characteristics including largely undulating and serrated grey-green leaves...
, Olearia nummularifolia and Olearia paniculata. 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 tortuous gallery under upper the epidermal layer, following the rib to the leaf margin, which it then follows. Frass
Frass
Frass is the fine powdery material phytophagous insects pass as waste after digesting plant parts. It causes plants to excrete chitinase due to high chitin levels, it is a natural bloom stimulant, and has high nutrient levels. Frass is known to have abundant amoeba, beneficial bacteria, and fungi...
is deposited against the roof of the mine. A single leaf of O. arborescens may contain many mines, but on O . macrodonta rarely have more than three been found. Larva have been recorded from May to August and in October. They are 3 to 4 mm long and greenish white.
The cocoon is made of brown silk and can be found on the ground.