Parectopa toxomacha
Encyclopedia
Parectopa toxomacha is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is known from New South Wales
.
The larva
e feed on Pultenaea
species, including Pultenaea daphnoides
. They probably mine
the leaves of their host plant.
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 New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
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 Pultenaea
Pultenaea
Pultenaea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae-Faboideae that are native to Australia.Pultenaea is commonly known as “egg and bacon”, “golden” or “bush peas”.The genus is found in south west Western Australia and the eastern states...
species, including Pultenaea daphnoides
Pultenaea daphnoides
Pultenaea daphnoides is a shrub which is endemic to Australia. It is a member of the genus Pultenaea and the family Fabaceae.The species is an erect shrub that can grow to between 1 and 3 metres high...
. They probably 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.