Stigmella variella
Encyclopedia
Stigmella variella is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found in California
and Arizona
.
The wingspan
is 5.5-7.5 mm. There are two to three generations per year in California. Completed mines can be found from July to early September and February to April.
The larvae feed on Quercus agrifolia, Quercus wislizeni and Quercus kelloggii. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine is serpentine and located in the upper epidermis and mesophyll. It becomes contorted and almost completely filled with frass
granules, but no terminal blotch is formed.
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 California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
.
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 5.5-7.5 mm. There are two to three generations per year in California. Completed mines can be found from July to early September and February to April.
The larvae feed on Quercus agrifolia, Quercus wislizeni and Quercus kelloggii. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine is serpentine and located in the upper epidermis and mesophyll. It becomes contorted and almost completely filled with 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...
granules, but no terminal blotch is formed.