Phyllonorycter myricella
Encyclopedia
Phyllonorycter myricella is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is known from Malaysia (Kedah).
The wingspan
is 5.1-5.7 mm.
The larva
e feed on Myrica esculenta
. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of a tentiform blotch-mine occurring upon the upper side of the leaf, usually situated on the disc between two lateral veins. It is oval or elliptical in outline. The upper epidermis of the mine is brownish, with a longitudinal, strong wrinkle at maturity. Pupation takes place inside the mine-cavity, without a particular 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 Malaysia (Kedah).
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 5.1-5.7 mm.
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 Myrica esculenta
Myrica esculenta
Myrica esculenta is a small tree or large shrub native to Hills of Nepal and northern India. Its common names include Box myrtle, Bayberry...
. 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 tentiform blotch-mine occurring upon the upper side of the leaf, usually situated on the disc between two lateral veins. It is oval or elliptical in outline. The upper epidermis of the mine is brownish, with a longitudinal, strong wrinkle at maturity. Pupation takes place inside the mine-cavity, without a particular cocoon.