Caloptilia nobilella
Encyclopedia
Caloptilia laurifoliae is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is found in Macedonia
and Istria
.
The larva
e feed on Laurus nobilis. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a winding, epidermal corridor, resembling a snail's trail, running towards the leaf margin. From here, a tentiform mine is made. The leaf margin folds over the mine. Older larvae leave the mine and continue feeding within a leaf folded into a cone. The pupa is made in an oval, almost glassy cocoon. Mines are only made in the youngest leaves, mainly in the shadow.
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 found in Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
and Istria
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
.
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 Laurus nobilis. 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 winding, epidermal corridor, resembling a snail's trail, running towards the leaf margin. From here, a tentiform mine is made. The leaf margin folds over the mine. Older larvae leave the mine and continue feeding within a leaf folded into a cone. The pupa is made in an oval, almost glassy cocoon. Mines are only made in the youngest leaves, mainly in the shadow.