Leucoptera lustratella
Encyclopedia
Leucoptera lustratella is a moth
in the Lyonetiidae
family. It is found from Fennoscandia
to the Pyrenees
and Italy
and from France
to Belarus
and Romania
.
The larvae feed on Hypericum hirsutum
, Hypericum montanum
and Hypericum perforatum. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of an upper surface brown blotch, which is small and round at first. It is enlarged by lobe-like extensions in all directions. The mine usually begins at the leaf tip. The frass
is concentrated in the centre of the mine. Pupation mostly takes place in a whitish cocoon within the mine. The larvae may leave a mined leaf and restart elsewhere.
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...
in the Lyonetiidae
Lyonetiidae
Lyonetiidae is a family of moths. These are small, slender moths, the wingspan rarely exceeding 1 cm. The very narrow forewings, held folded backwards covering the hindwings and abdomen, often have pointed apices noticeably up- or down-turned. The larvae are leaf miners.The families Bucculatricidae...
family. It is found from Fennoscandia
Fennoscandia
Fennoscandia and Fenno-Scandinavia are geographic and geological terms used to describe the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Kola Peninsula, Karelia and Finland...
to the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
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 France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
and Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
.
The larvae feed on Hypericum hirsutum
Hypericum hirsutum
Hypericum hirsutum is a flowering plant in the genus Hypericum commonly known as hairy St John's wort. It is found in Western Europe.-Description:...
, Hypericum montanum
Hypericum montanum
Hypericum montanum is a plant species in the genus Hypericum....
and Hypericum perforatum. 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 consists of an upper surface brown blotch, which is small and round at first. It is enlarged by lobe-like extensions in all directions. The mine usually begins at the leaf tip. 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 concentrated in the centre of the mine. Pupation mostly takes place in a whitish cocoon within the mine. The larvae may leave a mined leaf and restart elsewhere.