Macrosaccus neomexicanus
Encyclopedia
Macrosaccus neomexicanus is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is known from the south-western United States
from Arizona
and New Mexico
.
The length of the forewings is 2.7–3.5 mm.
The larva
e feed on Robinia neomexicana. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine begins as a relatively short, serpentine track which enlarges to an elongate-oval, whitish blotch located on the underside of the leaflet. As the larva develops and begins laying down silk, the mine becomes strongly tentiform, causing the upper surface to roll over.
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 Gracillariidae
Gracillariidae
Gracillariidae is an important family of insects in the order Lepidoptera and the principal family of leaf miners that includes several economic, horticultural or recently invasive pest species such as the horse-chestnut leaf miner, Cameraria ohridella....
family. It is known from the south-western United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
The length of the forewings is 2.7–3.5 mm.
The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e feed on Robinia neomexicana. 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 begins as a relatively short, serpentine track which enlarges to an elongate-oval, whitish blotch located on the underside of the leaflet. As the larva develops and begins laying down silk, the mine becomes strongly tentiform, causing the upper surface to roll over.