Philodoria pipturiella
Encyclopedia
Philodoria pipturiella is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is endemic to Oahu
.
The larvae feed on Pipturus
species. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. Large leaves can contain up to a hundred mines. The cocoons are made on the under side of the leaf alongside a prominent vein. They are white and not very conspicuous.
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...
.
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. Large leaves can contain up to a hundred mines. The cocoons are made on the under side of the leaf alongside a prominent vein. They are white and not very conspicuous.