Ectoedemia turbidella
Encyclopedia
Ectoedemia turbidella is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found from most of Europe
(except Ireland
, Greece
and the Mediterranean Islands
), east to the Volga and Ural regions of Russia
.
The wingspan
is 6–7 mm. Adults are on wing from May to June.
The larvae feed on Populus alba and Populus canescens. They mine the leaves of their host plant. It first bores in the distal part of the petiole, resulting in a local swelling. When the larva reaches the leaf it makes an elongate triangular blotch between the leaf margin and the first side vein, or sometimes between midrib and side vein. The frass is concentrated in two bands that run parallel to the sides of the mine. The larvae mainly feed at night. Pupation takes place outside of the 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 Nepticulidae
Nepticulidae
Nepticulidae is a family of very small moths with a worldwide distribution. They are characterised by eyecaps over the eyes . These pigmy moths or midget moths, as they are commonly known, include the smallest of all living moths, with a wingspan that can be as little as 3 mm...
family. It is found from most of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
(except Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and the Mediterranean Islands
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
), east to the Volga and Ural regions of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
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 6–7 mm. Adults are on wing from May to June.
The larvae feed on Populus alba and Populus canescens. They mine the leaves of their host plant. It first bores in the distal part of the petiole, resulting in a local swelling. When the larva reaches the leaf it makes an elongate triangular blotch between the leaf margin and the first side vein, or sometimes between midrib and side vein. The frass is concentrated in two bands that run parallel to the sides of the mine. The larvae mainly feed at night. Pupation takes place outside of the mine.