Stigmella vittata
Encyclopedia
Stigmella vittata is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is only known from Honshu
in Japan
.
Adults are on wing from early May. There are two to three generations per year.
The larva
e feed on Salix species, including Salix gracilistyla
. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine is a false blotch mine occurring on the upper-side of the leaf. It starts as thin linear gallery, often following a vein at least for a short distance. Here, the frass
line is linear and occupies almost the whole mine-cavity. Later, it widens and becomes contorted, usually following a margin of the previous gallery. Thus the mine is often restricted to a small area and forms a false blotch. There are often several mines on a single leaf. The larva exits the mine by a semi-circular slit at the terminal end of mine.
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 Honshu
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
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...
.
Adults are on wing from early May. There are two to three generations per year.
The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e feed on Salix species, including Salix gracilistyla
Salix gracilistyla
Salix gracilistyla is a species of willow native to Japan, Korea and China known in English as Rosegold Pussy Willow.It is a deciduous shrub that reaches a height of 1-6 m.-Varieties:...
. They mine
Leaf miner
Leaf miner is a term used to describe the larvae of many different species of insect which live in and eat the leaf tissue of plants. The vast majority of leaf-mining insects are moths , sawflies and flies , though some beetles and wasps also exhibit this behavior.Like Woodboring beetles, leaf...
the leaves of their host plant. The mine is a false blotch mine occurring on the upper-side of the leaf. It starts as thin linear gallery, often following a vein at least for a short distance. Here, 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...
line is linear and occupies almost the whole mine-cavity. Later, it widens and becomes contorted, usually following a margin of the previous gallery. Thus the mine is often restricted to a small area and forms a false blotch. There are often several mines on a single leaf. The larva exits the mine by a semi-circular slit at the terminal end of mine.