Cremastobombycia ambrosiaeella
Encyclopedia
Cremastobombycia ambrosiaeella is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is known from Quebec
and the United States
(Illinois, Kentucky, Texas, Maine and New York).
The wingspan
is 5.5-6.5 mm.
The larva
e feed on Ambrosia
species (including Ambrosia artemisiifolia
and Ambrosia trifida
), Helianthus
species (including Helianthus giganteus
), Heterotera squarrosa, Ridania alternifolia and Verbesina species (including Verbesina alternifolia). They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of a tentiform mine on the underside of the leaf. The mine is very small, almost circular and is not visible on the upperside as an inflated swelling. The dense white fusiform cocoon, suspended hammock-like in the mine, has a smooth surface.
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 Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(Illinois, Kentucky, Texas, Maine and New York).
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 5.5-6.5 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 Ambrosia
Ambrosia
In ancient Greek mythology, ambrosia is sometimes the food or drink of the Greek gods , often depicted as conferring ageless immortality upon whoever consumes it...
species (including Ambrosia artemisiifolia
Ambrosia artemisiifolia
Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Common Ragweed, is the most widespread plant of the genus Ambrosia in North America. It has also been called Annual Ragweed, Bitterweed, Blackweed, Carrot Weed, Hay Fever Weed, Roman Wormwood, Stammerwort, Stickweed, Tassel Weed, and American Wormwood...
and Ambrosia trifida
Ambrosia trifida
Common names: Buffalo Weed, Great Ragweed, Giant Ragweed, Bitterweed, Bloodweed, Horse Cane, Tall AmbrosiaAmbrosia trifida is an annual plant in the aster family, native throughout much of North America. Its flowers are green and are pollinated by wind rather than by insects, and the pollen is one...
), Helianthus
Helianthus
Helianthus L. is a genus of plants comprising 52 species in the Asteraceae family, all of which are native to North America, with some species Helianthus L. is a genus of plants comprising 52 species in the Asteraceae family, all of which are native to North America, with some species Helianthus...
species (including Helianthus giganteus
Helianthus giganteus
Helianthus giganteus , is a species of Helianthus native to the eastern United States and southeastern Canada, from Nova Scotia and Ontario west to Minnesota and south to Mississippi and Georgia....
), Heterotera squarrosa, Ridania alternifolia and Verbesina species (including Verbesina alternifolia). 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 has the form of a tentiform mine on the underside of the leaf. The mine is very small, almost circular and is not visible on the upperside as an inflated swelling. The dense white fusiform cocoon, suspended hammock-like in the mine, has a smooth surface.