Stigmella myricafoliella
Encyclopedia
Stigmella myricafoliella is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It has been recorded from Florida
and Nova Scotia
.
The wingspan
is 5-5.2 mm.
The larvae feed on Myrica
species. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine begins on the upper side as a short serpentine track, but soon broadens out in a large irregular blotch, often obliterating the early part of the mine. The frass
is black and scattered. When full grown, the larva is 4.5–5 mm long, cylindrical and somewhat flattened. The color is white, with light-brown mandibles and two small black lateral spots on the first thoracic segment. Pupation takes place in hammock outside of the mine on the leaf in a glistening white oblong cocoon spun under an equally showy white bridgework of longitudinal silken bands. One leaf often contains several mines.
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 has been recorded from Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 5-5.2 mm.
The larvae feed on Myrica
Myrica
Myrica is a genus of about 35–50 species of small trees and shrubs in the family Myricaceae, order Fagales. The genus has a wide distribution, including Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America, and missing only from Australasia...
species. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine begins on the upper side as a short serpentine track, but soon broadens out in a large irregular blotch, often obliterating the early part of the mine. 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 black and scattered. When full grown, the larva is 4.5–5 mm long, cylindrical and somewhat flattened. The color is white, with light-brown mandibles and two small black lateral spots on the first thoracic segment. Pupation takes place in hammock outside of the mine on the leaf in a glistening white oblong cocoon spun under an equally showy white bridgework of longitudinal silken bands. One leaf often contains several mines.