Trifurcula josefklimeschi
Encyclopedia
Trifurcula josefklimeschi is a moth
of the Nepticulidae
family. It is found south of the line running from France
to the Czech Republic
and Ukraine
.
The wingspan
is 4.9-6.5 mm for males and 4.9-6.1 mm for females. Adults emerge from late May to mid September. There might be two generations per year.
The larvae feed on Dorycnium hirsutum
and Dorycnium pentaphyllum
. The mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a narrow corridor, running towards the petiole. From there, the larva descends as a stem miner. The whole course of the mine often stains reddish or brown and the frass
is hardly visible externally, while the larva are visible as a yellow swelling in the stem. The mine is frequently in the more terminal shoots, and can relatively easily be found because of the staining. Larvae have been found in January, February and early April.
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 south of the line running from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
.
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 4.9-6.5 mm for males and 4.9-6.1 mm for females. Adults emerge from late May to mid September. There might be two generations per year.
The larvae feed on Dorycnium hirsutum
Dorycnium hirsutum
Dorycnium hirsutum, common name: Hairy Canary Clover, is a perennial plant belonging to the genus Dorycnium of the Fabaceae family.-Description:...
and Dorycnium pentaphyllum
Dorycnium pentaphyllum
Dorycnium pentaphyllum, common name: Prostrate Canary Clover, is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the genus Dorycnium of the Fabaceae family. The specific Latin name pentaphyllum derives from the greek pénte meaning five and phýllon meaning leaf, referred to the shape of the...
. The mine
Leaf miner
Leaf miner is a term used to describe the larvae of many different species of insect which live in and eat the leaf tissue of plants. The vast majority of leaf-mining insects are moths , sawflies and flies , though some beetles and wasps also exhibit this behavior.Like Woodboring beetles, leaf...
the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a narrow corridor, running towards the petiole. From there, the larva descends as a stem miner. The whole course of the mine often stains reddish or brown and 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 hardly visible externally, while the larva are visible as a yellow swelling in the stem. The mine is frequently in the more terminal shoots, and can relatively easily be found because of the staining. Larvae have been found in January, February and early April.