Stigmella laqueorum
Encyclopedia
Stigmella laqueorum is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found in New Zealand
.
The length of the forewings is 3–4 mm. Adults have been recorded from late November to February. They are diurnal, flying only in the morning.
The larvae feed on Olearia lyallii
. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine is narrοw, serpentine, rather scribble-like and close to the upper epidermal layer, widening terminally. There may be up to 20 mines per leaf. The egg is laid on the leaf underside, amongst the thick tomentum. Larvae are present in all months. They are up to 6 mm long and pale green.
The cocoon is made of pale brown or tan silk and is attached to fallen large debris or trunk bases.
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 3–4 mm. Adults have been recorded from late November to February. They are diurnal, flying only in the morning.
The larvae feed on Olearia lyallii
Olearia lyallii
Olearia lyallii is a New Zealand plant from the genus Olearia. It is commonly known as the subantarctic tree daisy. The species is endemic to the Snares Islands and southern New Zealand, and has also established itself as an introduced species on the Auckland Islands, where the type specimen was...
. 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 is narrοw, serpentine, rather scribble-like and close to the upper epidermal layer, widening terminally. There may be up to 20 mines per leaf. The egg is laid on the leaf underside, amongst the thick tomentum. Larvae are present in all months. They are up to 6 mm long and pale green.
The cocoon is made of pale brown or tan silk and is attached to fallen large debris or trunk bases.