Elachista cinereopunctella
Encyclopedia
Elachista cinereopunctella is a moth
of the Elachistidae
family. It is found from Scandinavia
and Russia
to the Iberian Peninsula
and Italy
and from Ireland
to Poland
.
The wingspan
is 7-9 mm.
The larvae feed on Carex digitata, Carex ericetorum
, Carex flacca
, Carex humilis, Carex ornithopoda, Carex pilosa, Deschampsia cespitosa, Melica
and Sesleria caerulea
. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine generally descends from the leaf tip and may occupy the space between the leaf margin and midrib, but may also occupy the entire width of the leaf. Most frass
is deposited in the oldest part of the mine. Pupation takes place outside of the mine. Larvae can be found from late summer to the following spring. The species overwinters within the mine. They are yellowish white with a dark 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 from Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
and 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...
to 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...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and from 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...
to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
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 7-9 mm.
The larvae feed on Carex digitata, Carex ericetorum
Carex ericetorum
Carex ericetorum is a perennial species of plants in the family Cyperaceae native to Eurasia and growing on sandy soils in pine forests....
, Carex flacca
Carex flacca
Carex flacca, with common names blue sedge, gray carex, glaucous sedge, or carnation-grass, , is a species of sedge native to parts of Europe and North Africa....
, Carex humilis, Carex ornithopoda, Carex pilosa, Deschampsia cespitosa, Melica
Melica
Melica is a genus of perennial grasses known generally as melic or melic grass. They are found in most temperate regions of the world. They are clumping grasses with long, erect stems bearing spikelets of papery grass flowers...
and Sesleria caerulea
Sesleria caerulea
Sesleria caerulea is a species of perennial grass in the Poaceae family, native to Europe.- References :* * * Animadv. bot. spec. alt. 2:18, t. 6, fig. 3-5. 1764...
. 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 generally descends from the leaf tip and may occupy the space between the leaf margin and midrib, but may also occupy the entire width of the leaf. Most 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...
is deposited in the oldest part of the mine. Pupation takes place outside of the mine. Larvae can be found from late summer to the following spring. The species overwinters within the mine. They are yellowish white with a dark brown head.