Trifurcula immundella
Encyclopedia
The Broom Pygmy Moth is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found in western Europe
, wherever the host plant occurs.
The wingspan
is 6-8,4 mm. Adults are on wing from June to August.
The larvae feed on Cytisus scoparius
. They mine the bark of twigs of their host plant. The mine consists of a dark gallery, which is similar to the mine of Leucoptera spartifoliella
.
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 western Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, wherever the host plant occurs.
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 6-8,4 mm. Adults are on wing from June to August.
The larvae feed on Cytisus scoparius
Cytisus scoparius
Cytisus scoparius, the Common Broom and Scotch Broom, syn. Sarothamnus scoparius, is a perennial leguminous shrub native to western and central Europe,....
. They mine the bark of twigs of their host plant. The mine consists of a dark gallery, which is similar to the mine of Leucoptera spartifoliella
Leucoptera spartifoliella
Leucoptera spartifoliella is a species of moth in family Lyonetiidae known by the common name Scotch broom twig miner. It is used as an agent of biological pest control against the noxious weed known as Scotch broom ....
.