Elachista luticomella
Encyclopedia
Elachista luticomella is a moth
of the Elachistidae
family. It is found in most of Europe
.
The wingspan
is 10-11 mm. The moth flies from June to August depending on the location.
The larvae feed on Bromus ramosus, Dactylis glomerata
, Deschampsia cespitosa, Festuca gigantea, Festuca pratensis
, Lolium perenne
Melica uniflora, Milium effusum
, Poa humilis and Poa pratensis. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of a long, narrow, white corridor, descending from close to the leaf tip to the leaf base or even the stem. The frass
is deposited in an inconspicuous grey line. They are lemon yellow. Larvae can be found from late autumn to May.
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...
.
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 10-11 mm. The moth flies from June to August depending on the location.
The larvae feed on Bromus ramosus, 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:...
, Deschampsia cespitosa, Festuca gigantea, Festuca pratensis
Festuca pratensis
Festuca pratensis, the Meadow fescue, Festuca pratensis, the Meadow fescue, Festuca pratensis, the Meadow fescue, ( syn. Bromus pratensis (Huds.) Spreng., Bucetum pratense (Huds.) Parn., Festuca fluitans L. var. pratensis (Huds.) Huds., Festuca elatior L. subsp. pratensis (Huds.) Hack., Lolium...
, Lolium perenne
Lolium perenne
Lolium perenne, common name Perennial Ryegrass, is a grass from the family Poaceae. It is native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa, but is widely cultivated and naturalised around the world.-Description:...
Melica uniflora, Milium effusum
Milium effusum
Milium effusum L. is a species of grass in the Poaceae family, native to damp forests of the Holarctic Kingdom.-External links:*...
, Poa humilis and Poa pratensis. 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 long, narrow, white corridor, descending from close to the leaf tip to the leaf base or even the stem. The 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 an inconspicuous grey line. They are lemon yellow. Larvae can be found from late autumn to May.