Elachista atricomella
Encyclopedia
Elachista atricomella is a moth
of the Elachistidae
family. It is found in most of Europe
, except the Iberian Peninsula
, Balkan Peninsula and the Mediterranean Islands.
The wingspan
is about 12 mm. The moth flies from May to September depending on the location.
The larvae mines the leaves of Dactylis glomerata
. The mine starts as a long, narrow, mostly straight corridor with a fine central line of grey frass
. It descends into the leaf sheath, or even into the stem or rootstock. Larvae regularly vacate the mine and begin elsewhere. Pupation takes place outside of the mine. Larvae can be found from late autumn to May. They are greenish yellow with a light brown head.
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 Elachistidae
Elachistidae
| image = Elachista rufocinerea 2.jpg| image_width = 240px| image_caption = Adult Elachista rufocinerea,demonstrating its tiny size versus an aphid and a spider mite | regnum = Animalia| phylum = Arthropoda| classis = Insecta...
family. It is found in 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 the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, Balkan Peninsula and the Mediterranean 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 about 12 mm. The moth flies from May to September depending on the location.
The larvae mines the leaves of Dactylis glomerata
Dactylis glomerata
Dactylis glomerata, Cock's-foot and orchard grass, is a common species of grass in the genus Dactylis, native throughout most of Europe, temperate Asia, and northern Africa.-Distribution:...
. The mine starts as a long, narrow, mostly straight corridor with a fine central line of grey frass
Frass
Frass is the fine powdery material phytophagous insects pass as waste after digesting plant parts. It causes plants to excrete chitinase due to high chitin levels, it is a natural bloom stimulant, and has high nutrient levels. Frass is known to have abundant amoeba, beneficial bacteria, and fungi...
. It descends into the leaf sheath, or even into the stem or rootstock. Larvae regularly vacate the mine and begin elsewhere. Pupation takes place outside of the mine. Larvae can be found from late autumn to May. They are greenish yellow with a light brown head.