Acrocercops plebeia
Encyclopedia
Acrocercops plebeia is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is known from Queensland
, Victoria
and New South Wales
.
The larva
e feed on Acacia implexa
, Acacia podalyriifolia
, Acacia prominens
and Acacia rubida. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a large blotch 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 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 Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
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 Acacia implexa
Acacia implexa
Acacia implexa is an Australian Acacia, used for furniture making. Its common name is Lightwood....
, Acacia podalyriifolia
Acacia podalyriifolia
Acacia podalyriifolia is a perennial tree which is fast-growing and widely cultivated. It is native to Australia but is also naturalised in Malaysia, Africa, India and South America. Its uses include environmental management and it is also used as an ornamental tree. It is very closely related...
, Acacia prominens
Acacia prominens
Acacia prominens is a shrub or tree in the genus Acacia native to New South Wales, Australia. It grows 5–9 meters, sometimes 20–25 meters high and contains the psychoactive alkaloids phenylethylamine and β-methylphenethylamine. It is most closely related to A...
and Acacia rubida. 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 consists of a large blotch mine.