Stigmella oplismeniella
Encyclopedia
Stigmella oplismeniella is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is only known from Kyushu
in Japan
.
Adult are on wing from mid May to early June. There is probably one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Oplismenus undulatifolius. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a linear, full depth gallery, which usually runs longitudinally along the leaf margin and then doubles back three or four times. It is semi-transparent, pale green to pale brown, with a longitudinal black frass line in the centre. Later, the frass line becomes more disseminated, sometimes in zigzag arcs.
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...
.
Adult are on wing from mid May to early June. There is probably one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Oplismenus undulatifolius. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a linear, full depth gallery, which usually runs longitudinally along the leaf margin and then doubles back three or four times. It is semi-transparent, pale green to pale brown, with a longitudinal black frass line in the centre. Later, the frass line becomes more disseminated, sometimes in zigzag arcs.