Marmara smilacisella
Encyclopedia
Marmara smilacisella is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is known from the United States
(Kentucky and Ohio south to Florida and Texas).
The larva
e feed on Smilax glabra, Smilax glauca
and Smilax hispida. They mine
the upper side of the leaves, making a silvery white narrow mine. There is a narrow central line of frass
. The mines wind about over the leaf, crossing and recrossing and in smaller leaves involving almost the whole upper surface. At maturity, the larvae turn bright red, emerge from the mine, and, in a fold under the edge of the leaf, spin yellowish white coooons to pupate.
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 United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(Kentucky and Ohio south to Florida and Texas).
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 Smilax glabra, Smilax glauca
Smilax glauca
Smilax glauca is a woody vine in the family Smilacaceae, native to central and eastern portions of the United States. Thorny stems climb by means of tendrils. Leaves are notably gray-glaucous to whitish beneath. Commonly inhabiting wooded areas and fences and often found growing with other...
and Smilax hispida. 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 upper side of the leaves, making a silvery white narrow mine. There is a narrow central line of 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...
. The mines wind about over the leaf, crossing and recrossing and in smaller leaves involving almost the whole upper surface. At maturity, the larvae turn bright red, emerge from the mine, and, in a fold under the edge of the leaf, spin yellowish white coooons to pupate.