Stigmella prunetorum
Encyclopedia
Stigmella prunetorum is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found in all of Europe
(except the Ireland
, the Iberian Peninsula
and the Mediterranean Islands
).
The wingspan
is 4.3-4.7 mm. Adults are on wing in May.
The larvae feed on Prunus armeniaca, Prunus avium
, Prunus brigantina, Prunus cerasifera, Prunus cerasus, Prunus cocomilia
, Prunus domestica
, Prunus insititia, Prunus spinosa
and Prunus triloba
. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a corridor, running in several half or whole circles around the oviposition site. The last segment breaks loose, and mostly runs along the leaf margin.
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 all of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
(except the Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
and the Mediterranean Islands
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
).
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 4.3-4.7 mm. Adults are on wing in May.
The larvae feed on Prunus armeniaca, Prunus avium
Prunus avium
Prunus avium, commonly called wild cherry, sweet cherry, bird cherry, or gean, is a species of cherry, native to Europe, west Turkey, northwest Africa, and western Asia, from the British Isles south to Morocco and Tunisia, north to the Trondheimsfjord region in Norway and east to the Caucasus, and...
, Prunus brigantina, Prunus cerasifera, Prunus cerasus, Prunus cocomilia
Prunus cocomilia
Prunus cocomilia is a species of plum commonly called Italian plum. It is endemic to Turkey, and well known in Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia, where it is called Dzenerika or Dzanja.-References:...
, Prunus domestica
Prunus domestica
Prunus domestica is a Prunus species with many varieties. These are often called "plums" in common English, though not all plums belong to this species. Its hybrid parentage is believed to be Prunus spinosa and Prunus cerasifera var. divaricata...
, Prunus insititia, Prunus spinosa
Prunus spinosa
Prunus spinosa is a species of Prunus native to Europe, western Asia, and locally in northwest Africa. It is also locally naturalised in New Zealand and eastern North America....
and Prunus triloba
Prunus triloba
Prunus triloba sometimes called "flowering almond" is a shrubby cherry, sometimes becoming a small tree. The flowers are pale pink or white, and the fruit are red and "pubescent", i.e. with soft hair. It originates from China....
. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a corridor, running in several half or whole circles around the oviposition site. The last segment breaks loose, and mostly runs along the leaf margin.