Stigmella watti
Encyclopedia
Stigmella watti is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found in New Zealand
.
The length of the forewings is about 3.5 mm. Adults have been recorded in February. There is probably one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Olearia colensoi νar. grandis
and possibly Olearia oporina. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine is a narrow, linear gallery in the upper surface of the leaf. The larva mines from cell to cell and the gallery at first is only one cell wide, hence the margin is somewhat irregular. The mine becomes packed with dry, granular frass
. Larva have been recorded in May. They are 3–4 mm long and pale green.
The cocoon is brown and attached to the leaves and stem of the host plant.
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 New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
The length of the forewings is about 3.5 mm. Adults have been recorded in February. There is probably one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Olearia colensoi νar. grandis
Olearia colensoi
Olearia colensoi is a shrub that is endemic to New Zealand. It is known by the Māori names of Kūmarahou, Kūmararaunui and Tūpare and the European name of leatherwood.-External links:* Ngā Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants...
and possibly Olearia oporina. 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 narrow, linear gallery in the upper surface of the leaf. The larva mines from cell to cell and the gallery at first is only one cell wide, hence the margin is somewhat irregular. The mine becomes packed with dry, granular 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...
. Larva have been recorded in May. They are 3–4 mm long and pale green.
The cocoon is brown and attached to the leaves and stem of the host plant.