Stigmella intermedia
Encyclopedia
Stigmella intermedia is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found in Ohio
, Arkansas
, Kentucky
and Ontario
.
The wingspan
is 3-3.5 mm. Usually there are but two generations per year, with larvae maturing in July and overwintering, but occasionally a third generation appears.
The larvae feed on Rhus typhina
and Rhus aromatica
. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The loosened epidermis is bright green at first, later yellowish, and is marked by a broad blackish frass
line nearly as broad as the mine. The larvae are very bright green.
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...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, 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...
and Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
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 3-3.5 mm. Usually there are but two generations per year, with larvae maturing in July and overwintering, but occasionally a third generation appears.
The larvae feed on Rhus typhina
Rhus typhina
The Staghorn Sumac is a deciduous shrub to small tree in the Anacardiaceae or Cashew family, native to eastern North America...
and Rhus aromatica
Rhus aromatica
Rhus aromatica is a plant species in the family Anacardiaceae native to Canada and the United States....
. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The loosened epidermis is bright green at first, later yellowish, and is marked by a broad blackish 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...
line nearly as broad as the mine. The larvae are very bright green.