Philodoria pipturicola
Encyclopedia
Philodoria pipturicola is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is endemic to Oahu
and Maui
.
The larvae feed on Pipturus
species. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts as a serpentine gallery but later becomes a blotch. The larva emerges to spin a light brownish cocoon on some convenient surface. The larvae are about 7 mm long and pale yellowish.
The pupa is 3 mm long and very pale brownish.
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 endemic to Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
and Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
.
The larvae feed on Pipturus
Pipturus
Pipturus is a flowering plant genus in the nettle family, Urticaceae.-Selected species:* Pipturus albidus A.Gray ex H.Mann – Māmaki * Pipturus arborescens C.B.Rob., 1911...
species. 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 starts as a serpentine gallery but later becomes a blotch. The larva emerges to spin a light brownish cocoon on some convenient surface. The larvae are about 7 mm long and pale yellowish.
The pupa is 3 mm long and very pale brownish.