Phyllocnistis perseafolia
Encyclopedia
Phyllocnistis perseafolia is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is known only from the type locality in the Department of Caldas, west-central Colombia
, but probably widespread over northern South America
wherever avocado is cultivated.
The length of the forewings is 2.6–3.2 mm. Adults have been recorded in April in Colombia.
The larvae feed on Persea americana. Serpentine mines of possibly this species have also been observed on avocado fruit. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of a long, slender, serpentine gallery, containing a dark, narrow, median frass
trail, present on either the underside or upperside of the leaf, with pupation occurring in a slightly enlarged, elliptical chamber at the mine terminus along the leaf edge.
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 only from the type locality in the Department of Caldas, west-central Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, but probably widespread over northern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
wherever avocado is cultivated.
The length of the forewings is 2.6–3.2 mm. Adults have been recorded in April in Colombia.
The larvae feed on Persea americana. Serpentine mines of possibly this species have also been observed on avocado fruit. 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 has the form of a long, slender, serpentine gallery, containing a dark, narrow, median 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...
trail, present on either the underside or upperside of the leaf, with pupation occurring in a slightly enlarged, elliptical chamber at the mine terminus along the leaf edge.