Stigmella lucida
Encyclopedia
Stigmella lucida 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 January and from September to December. There are one or two generations per year.
The larvae feed on Nothofagus menziesii
. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine is starts close to the midrib near the stem as a narrow gallery. At first, only the lower part of the leaf tissue is eaten, but gradually, as the mine becomes wider, it reaches both cuticular layers. The frass
is deposited in the middle of the mine, later filling all space. Larva have been recorded from May to August and in October and November. They are about 3 mm long and pale green.
The cocoon is made of white to pale brown silk and is constructed amidst foliage and branches of the foodplant.
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 January and from September to December. There are one or two generations per year.
The larvae feed on Nothofagus menziesii
Nothofagus menziesii
Nothofagus menziesii or Silver beech is a tree of the Nothofagus or southern beech genus endemic to New Zealand. Its common name probably comes from the fact that its bark is whitish in colour, particularly in younger specimens. It is found from Thames southwards in the North Island , and...
. 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 starts close to the midrib near the stem as a narrow gallery. At first, only the lower part of the leaf tissue is eaten, but gradually, as the mine becomes wider, it reaches both cuticular layers. The 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 in the middle of the mine, later filling all space. Larva have been recorded from May to August and in October and November. They are about 3 mm long and pale green.
The cocoon is made of white to pale brown silk and is constructed amidst foliage and branches of the foodplant.