Caloptilia callicarpae
Encyclopedia
Caloptilia callicarpae is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is known from Japan
(Shikoku, the Ryukyu Islands).
The wingspan
is 6.5-8.2 mm.
The larva
e feed on Callicarpa species, including Callicarpa japonica
. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine occurs on the upper surface of the leaf. It starts long-linear, epidermal and running along the leaf vein or leaf margin, thereupon it broadens into an elongate blotch, usually located along the leaf margin and tentiformed and sometimes completely folded upwardly. The cocoon is found at a position separated from the mine. In rearing condition it was found at the tip or margin of the mining leaf. It is boat-shaped and whitish.
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 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...
(Shikoku, the Ryukyu Islands).
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 6.5-8.2 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 Callicarpa species, including Callicarpa japonica
Callicarpa japonica
Japanese Beautyberry is a tree with purple berry fruits. The flowers can range from pink to white. And, this species is native to Japan. They are cultivated as ornamental trees. Moreover, they are popularly grown in gardens and parks.-Medicinal uses:The berries are not edible for human beings, but...
. 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 occurs on the upper surface of the leaf. It starts long-linear, epidermal and running along the leaf vein or leaf margin, thereupon it broadens into an elongate blotch, usually located along the leaf margin and tentiformed and sometimes completely folded upwardly. The cocoon is found at a position separated from the mine. In rearing condition it was found at the tip or margin of the mining leaf. It is boat-shaped and whitish.