Stigmella flavipedella
Encyclopedia
Stigmella flavipedella is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found in Ohio
and Kentucky
.
The wingspan
is 3.6–5 mm. Adults are on wing in March, May and early June, and mid-July and August. Larvae have been collected in June and late July and in late August and September. There are three generations per year.
The larvae feed on Quercus species, including Quercus platanoides, Quercus palustris, Quercus rubra and Quercus imbricaria. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts as an upper-surface, very narrow linear gallery which abruptly enlarges and becomes transparent, then broadens gradually and becomes much contorted in later stages. The frass
is deposited as a diffuse central line in early stages, but across the entire width of the mine in the later portion.
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 Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
.
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 3.6–5 mm. Adults are on wing in March, May and early June, and mid-July and August. Larvae have been collected in June and late July and in late August and September. There are three generations per year.
The larvae feed on Quercus species, including Quercus platanoides, Quercus palustris, Quercus rubra and Quercus imbricaria. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts as an upper-surface, very narrow linear gallery which abruptly enlarges and becomes transparent, then broadens gradually and becomes much contorted in later stages. 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 deposited as a diffuse central line in early stages, but across the entire width of the mine in the later portion.