Stigmella rhoifoliella
Encyclopedia
Stigmella rhoifoliella is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found in Ohio
and Kentucky
.
The wingspan
is 3.2-4.2 mm. Late instar larvae may be found in June, late July and September. Adults are on wing in June and particularly August. There are two to three generations per year.
The larvae feed on Rhus toxicodendron. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine is much contorted, linear and located on the upper surface of the leaf. The frass is dispersed in most places and granular throughout the entire 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 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 3.2-4.2 mm. Late instar larvae may be found in June, late July and September. Adults are on wing in June and particularly August. There are two to three generations per year.
The larvae feed on Rhus toxicodendron. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine is much contorted, linear and located on the upper surface of the leaf. The frass is dispersed in most places and granular throughout the entire width of the mine.