Stigmella filipendulae
Encyclopedia
Stigmella filipendulae is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found from Fennoscandia
to the Alps
and the Carpathians, and from Ireland
to Poland
. There is a disjunct population in Greece
.
The wingspan
is 3–5 mm. Adults are on wing from July to August and again in September. There are two generations per year.
The larvae feed on Filipendula vulgaris and Filipendula ulmaria. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a long, slowly winding corridor. The first part often follows a vein. The frass is concentrated in a narrow central line at first. Later, it is distributed more widely, occupying about two thirds of the width of the mine. Pupation takes place outside 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 from Fennoscandia
Fennoscandia
Fennoscandia and Fenno-Scandinavia are geographic and geological terms used to describe the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Kola Peninsula, Karelia and Finland...
to the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
and the Carpathians, and from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. There is a disjunct population in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
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 3–5 mm. Adults are on wing from July to August and again in September. There are two generations per year.
The larvae feed on Filipendula vulgaris and Filipendula ulmaria. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a long, slowly winding corridor. The first part often follows a vein. The frass is concentrated in a narrow central line at first. Later, it is distributed more widely, occupying about two thirds of the width of the mine. Pupation takes place outside of the mine.