Acrocercops panacicorticis
Encyclopedia
Acrocercops panacicorticis is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is known from New Zealand
.
The wingspan
is 7-8 mm.
The larva
e feed on Nothopanax arboreum. They mine the stem of their host plant. The mine is a simple gallery throughout, gradually increasing in width. The general direction is along the young stem in the internodes in its long axis. On reaching a node where the large expanded base of the leaf-stalk closely embraces the greater part of the stem the mine follows the obstruction on a varying distance, eventually turning down into the next internode or retracing its way back in its old internode, turning again in a similar manner on reaching the other extremity. In this way the internodes become more or less occupied by long galleries, while at the nodes the mine may enlarge and envelop the stem. Blind branches are rarely found. The mine may at times become somewhat tortuous, and in places more or less expanded owing to several parts intercommunicating. As a general rule but one internode will be occupied by any one mine, though sometimes a mine may extend into two. Where two mines are occupying the rather small area offered by a single internode, their galleries may intermingle indiscriminately without any attempt at mutual avoidance. The colour of the mine is white at first, later white or a very pale brown. The frass
is scanty, and in the earlier portions of the mine occupies a narrow central line in the gallery.
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 Gracillariidae
Gracillariidae
Gracillariidae is an important family of insects in the order Lepidoptera and the principal family of leaf miners that includes several economic, horticultural or recently invasive pest species such as the horse-chestnut leaf miner, Cameraria ohridella....
family. It is known from 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 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 7-8 mm.
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 Nothopanax arboreum. They mine the stem of their host plant. The mine is a simple gallery throughout, gradually increasing in width. The general direction is along the young stem in the internodes in its long axis. On reaching a node where the large expanded base of the leaf-stalk closely embraces the greater part of the stem the mine follows the obstruction on a varying distance, eventually turning down into the next internode or retracing its way back in its old internode, turning again in a similar manner on reaching the other extremity. In this way the internodes become more or less occupied by long galleries, while at the nodes the mine may enlarge and envelop the stem. Blind branches are rarely found. The mine may at times become somewhat tortuous, and in places more or less expanded owing to several parts intercommunicating. As a general rule but one internode will be occupied by any one mine, though sometimes a mine may extend into two. Where two mines are occupying the rather small area offered by a single internode, their galleries may intermingle indiscriminately without any attempt at mutual avoidance. The colour of the mine is white at first, later white or a very pale brown. 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...
is scanty, and in the earlier portions of the mine occupies a narrow central line in the gallery.