Stigmella prunifoliella
Encyclopedia
Stigmella prunifoliella is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found in Pennsylvania
, Ohio
, New York
, Kentucky
and Ontario
.
The wingspan
is 4-4.5 mm.
The larvae feed on Prunus
species, including Prunus serotina, Prunus pensylvanica and Prunus nigra
. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine is much contorted, especially at first, often by confluence forming a blotch, later distinct, with the frass
scattered to near the end, where it is collected into a broad line. The leaf of wild cherry is discolored and reddish around the mine. The cocoon is ocherous, sometimes reddish.
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 Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
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 4-4.5 mm.
The larvae feed on Prunus
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of trees and shrubs, which includes the plums, cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds. There are around 430 species spread throughout the northern temperate regions of the globe. Many members of the genus are widely cultivated for fruit and ornament.-Botany:Members of the genus...
species, including Prunus serotina, Prunus pensylvanica and Prunus nigra
Prunus nigra
Prunus nigra is a species of Prunus, native to eastern North America from New Brunswick west to southeastern Manitoba, and south to Connecticut across to Iowa...
. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine is much contorted, especially at first, often by confluence forming a blotch, later distinct, with 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...
scattered to near the end, where it is collected into a broad line. The leaf of wild cherry is discolored and reddish around the mine. The cocoon is ocherous, sometimes reddish.