Phyllonorycter belotella
Encyclopedia
Phyllonorycter belotella is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is known from the Mediterranean Region from the Iberian Peninsula
to Greece
.
The larva
e feed on Quercus coccifera, Quercus ilex and Quercus suber. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of an upper surface epidermal, silvery blotch without folds. The frass
is partly found as loosely scattered grains and partly as a central, dark brown patch on the roof of the mine. Pupation takes place within the mine in a clear cocoon.
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 the Mediterranean Region from the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
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 Quercus coccifera, Quercus ilex and Quercus suber. 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 an upper surface epidermal, silvery blotch without folds. The 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...
is partly found as loosely scattered grains and partly as a central, dark brown patch on the roof of the mine. Pupation takes place within the mine in a clear cocoon.