Stigmella diffasciae
Encyclopedia
Stigmella diffasciae is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found in California
.
The wingspan
is 5.4-5.8 mm. There is probably one generation per year with larvae in March and adults in May.
The larvae feed on Ceanothus
species. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine is long, narrow, linear and located on the upper surface of the leaf. The tract is contorted, turning several times in a small area. The frass is deposited evenly throughout the width of the mine.
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 Nepticulidae
Nepticulidae
Nepticulidae is a family of very small moths with a worldwide distribution. They are characterised by eyecaps over the eyes . These pigmy moths or midget moths, as they are commonly known, include the smallest of all living moths, with a wingspan that can be as little as 3 mm...
family. It is found in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
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 5.4-5.8 mm. There is probably one generation per year with larvae in March and adults in May.
The larvae feed on Ceanothus
Ceanothus
Ceanothus L. is a genus of about 50–60 species of shrubs or small trees in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae. The genus is confined to North America, the center of its distribution in California, with some species in the eastern United States and southeast Canada, and others extending as far south...
species. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine is long, narrow, linear and located on the upper surface of the leaf. The tract is contorted, turning several times in a small area. The frass is deposited evenly throughout the width of the mine.