Pectinivalva primigena
Encyclopedia
Pectinivalva primigena is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found along the south-eastern coast of New South Wales
, Australia
.
The wingspan
is about 4.3 mm for females.
Meyrick beat the single known specimen from Banksia sermta and thought this was probably the host-plant. He also stated that he found nepticulid larvae on this plant, but failed to rear them. Moore (1966) illustrated vacated mines on Banksia sermta and Banksia integrifolia
, which he believed belonged to nepticulids. However, search in a number of localities during 1995 has failed to reveal any unequivocal sign of nepticulids on Banksia or any other genus of Proteaceae. Vacated mines on Banksia sermta, identical to those illustrated by Moore, have been found in two localities, but they are considered unlikely to belong to Nepticulidae as the commencement of the linear mine is uncharacteristically broad, and the egg appears to be injected into the leaf tissues, and is not visible on the surface. As of yet, no Pectinivalva has yet been reared fiom any family of plants other than Myrtaceae. The host plant is thus unknown, but probably a Myrtaceae
species. 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 Nepticulidae
Nepticulidae
Nepticulidae is a family of very small moths with a worldwide distribution. They are characterised by eyecaps over the eyes . These pigmy moths or midget moths, as they are commonly known, include the smallest of all living moths, with a wingspan that can be as little as 3 mm...
family. It is found along the south-eastern coast of 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...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
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 about 4.3 mm for females.
Meyrick beat the single known specimen from Banksia sermta and thought this was probably the host-plant. He also stated that he found nepticulid larvae on this plant, but failed to rear them. Moore (1966) illustrated vacated mines on Banksia sermta and Banksia integrifolia
Banksia integrifolia
Banksia integrifolia, commonly known as Coast Banksia, is a species of tree that grows along the east coast of Australia. One of the most widely distributed Banksia species, it occurs between Victoria and Central Queensland in a broad range of habitats, from coastal dunes to mountains...
, which he believed belonged to nepticulids. However, search in a number of localities during 1995 has failed to reveal any unequivocal sign of nepticulids on Banksia or any other genus of Proteaceae. Vacated mines on Banksia sermta, identical to those illustrated by Moore, have been found in two localities, but they are considered unlikely to belong to Nepticulidae as the commencement of the linear mine is uncharacteristically broad, and the egg appears to be injected into the leaf tissues, and is not visible on the surface. As of yet, no Pectinivalva has yet been reared fiom any family of plants other than Myrtaceae. The host plant is thus unknown, but probably a Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae
The Myrtaceae or Myrtle family are a family of dicotyledon plants, placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, clove, guava, feijoa, allspice, and eucalyptus belong here. All species are woody, with essential oils, and flower parts in multiples of four or five...
species. 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.