Stigmella sakhalinella
Encyclopedia
Stigmella sakhalinella is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found from Scandinavia
to the Pyrenees
, Italy
and Serbia
, and from Great Britain
to central Russia
, east to the eastern part of the Palearctic ecozone. It is also found in the Near East
.
The wingspan
is 4-4.6 mm. Adults are on wing in May and again from July to August.
The larvae feed on Betula pendula, Betula pubescens and Betula utilis
. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a slender gallery. The corridor mostly begins close to the leaf margin, often near the tip of the leaf. The frass fills most of the width of the corridor, but always leaves a transparent zone at either side. 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 Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
to the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, and from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
to central Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, east to the eastern part of the Palearctic ecozone. It is also found in the Near East
Near East
The Near East is a geographical term that covers different countries for geographers, archeologists, and historians, on the one hand, and for political scientists, economists, and journalists, on the other...
.
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 4-4.6 mm. Adults are on wing in May and again from July to August.
The larvae feed on Betula pendula, Betula pubescens and Betula utilis
Betula utilis
Betula utilis is a Birch tree native to the Himalayas, growing at elevations up to . The specific epithet, utilis, refers to the many uses of the different parts of the tree. The white, paper-like bark of the tree was used in ancient times for writing Sanskrit scriptures and texts...
. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a slender gallery. The corridor mostly begins close to the leaf margin, often near the tip of the leaf. The frass fills most of the width of the corridor, but always leaves a transparent zone at either side. Pupation takes place outside of the mine.