Stigmella tricentra | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Leaf mine of S. tricentra | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Nepticulidae |
Genus: | Stigmella |
Species: | S. tricentra |
Binomial name | |
Stigmella tricentra (Meyrick, 1889) | |
Synonyms [1] | |
|
Stigmella tricentra is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. [2] It was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1889. This species is endemic to New Zealand and is found in both the North and South Islands. This species inhabits the margins of native forest as well as lowland shrublands where its larval host can be found. Larvae are leaf miners and feed on Helichrysum lanceolatum . Adults are on the wing in the wild in March and October. It is likely that this species has two generations in a year.
This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1889 using a specimen collected in Christchurch in March and was originally named Nepticula tricentra. [3] George Hudson discussed that species under that name in his book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. [4] In 1988 John S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Stigmella. [1] In 1989 Hans Donner and Christopher Wilkinson agreed with this placement in their monograph on New Zealand Nepticulidae. [5] This placement was again confirmed in a 2016 revision of the global species placed in the family Nepticulidae. [2] The male holotype, collected at Lyttelton, is held at the Natural History Museum, London. [1]
The larvae are pale yellow in appearance and have a length of between 3 and 4 mm. [5] Their mines are wound in a compact manner with frass filling the mine. The cocoon is made of brown silk and is formed within the mine within the leaf which remains attached to the plant. Cocoons have been observed in May, August, September. [5]
Meyrick described the female adult of this species as follows:
♀. 6 mm. Head and palpi grey-whitish. Antennae, thorax, and abdomen grey. Legs dark grey, apex of joints whitish. Forewings lanceolate; pale grey, irrorated with darker; two or three small round black dots in an irregular longitudinal series towards middle of disc : cilia light grey. Hindwings and cilia light grey. [3]
Donner and Wilkinson described the adult male of this species as follows:
Head. Frontal tuft, scape, and collar white; antenna brown, comprising 36 segments. Thorax brown. Forewing about 2.6 mm long, speckled brown on cream ground colour, with a small black medial spot and a subterminal black spot sometimes extending distally; fringe golden grey. Hindwing silvery grey, lustrous, reflecting platinum; fringe concolorous. Abdomen grey. [5]
The female is very similar in appearance than the male but has less than 33 segments to its antennae. [5] Adults of this species can be distinguished from the similar appearing Stigmella species as it is of a smaller size. [5]
This species is endemic to New Zealand. [6] [7] This species is found in both the North and South Islands. [5]
Larvae have been observed from April to September. Adults emerge through upper outermost layer of the leaf and have been observed on the wing in the wild in March and October. [3] [5] It is likely that this species has two generations in a year. [5]
This species inhabits the margins of native forest as well as lowland shrublands where its larval host can be found. The larvae feed on Helichrysum lanceolatum . They mine the leaves of their host plant. [5]
Stigmella microtheriella, the Hazel leaf miner moth, is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is found in Asia, Europe and New Zealand. The larvae mine the leaves of hazel and hornbeams. It was described by the English entomologist, Henry Tibbats Stainton in 1854 from a type specimen found in England.
Stigmella atrata is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed on the North Island, South Island and Stewart Island. The larvae of this species are leaf miners of Brachyglottis elaeagnifolia and Brachyglottis rotundifolia and have been recorded in April, May, July and September. Larvae pupate on the ground in a cocoon. Adults have been observed on the wing in January, February, November and December. It has been hypothesised that there is probably only one generation per year.
Stigmella cassiniae is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the North and South Islands. The larvae are leaf miners of leaves and stems of Ozothamnus leptophyllus. When mature, the larvae pupate amongst leaf litter on the ground. Adult moths have been recorded on the wing in January, February, April, and October. It has been hypothesised that there are likely two generations in a year.
Stigmella childi is a species of moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the southern parts of the South Island. This species inhabits subalpine and alpine grassland and herbfields. The larvae of this species are leaf miners and feed on the leaves of Celmisia haastii. Adults have been observed on the wing in January.
Stigmella fulva is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the North Island around Mount Taranaki, in the South Island and at Stewart Island. The species' eggs are laid singly but a considerable number may be deposited on the upper surface of one leaf. The incubation period can last from a week to a month depending on climatic conditions. The larvae mine the leaves of their host plants which are all in the genus Olearia. Larvae have been recorded in all months except January, February and June. The cocoon is brown and spun amongst the leaf litter under its host plant. The pupal period has been shown to range from 21 days to 79 days, again depending on climatic conditions. Adults have been observed on the wing January until March and August to December. They are active in the sun about their larval food plant.
Stigmella hakekeae is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the North, South and Stewart Islands. The larvae feed on Olearia species and are leaf miners. This species pupates in a silk cocoon on the ground underneath its host plant. Adults are on the wing most months of year except for March and April. They have been observed flying during the day near their host plant. There are four or five generations per year. This species is regarded as being widely distributed and locally abundant.
Stigmella hoheriae is a species of moth of the family Nepticulidae. This day flying moth is found in New Zealand in both the North and South Islands. It inhabits native forest. Eggs are laid on the surface of a still growing leaf of a host plant. Larvae feed on Hoheria species such as Hoheria glabrata, Hoheria populnea, Hoheria sexstylosa and Hoheria angustifolia and have been recorded from February to August. The larvae of S. hoheriae are leaf miners. Their mines create blotches on the host plant leaves. S. hoheriae larvae pupate in a silk cocoon on the ground at the base of their food plant. Adult moths have been observed on the wing in February and from July to December. This species is rarely noticed as it is very small and as a result does not tend to attract attention when on the wing.
Stigmella ilsea is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the North and South Islands. The larvae of this species are leaf miners and feed on Olearia virgata, Olearia rugosa, Olearia odorata, Olearia laxiflora, Olearia lineate and Olearia hectorii. Adult moths have been recorded in January, October and November. Reared specimens emerged from July to September. There is likely one generation per year.
Stigmella insignis is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the Hawkes Bay as well as in the north west of the South Island. S. insignis inhabits montane to subalpine grasslands. The larvae of S. insignis are leaf miners. They likely feed on Celmisia spectabilis. Adults of this species have been observed on the wing in March, November and December.
Stigmella kaimanua is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the southern parts of the South Island. S. kaimanua inhabits lowland and lower montane forest. The larvae mine the leaves of Parsonsia heterophylla. The mine is linear and continues down the stems for a short distance. Larvae have been observed April to August. The cocoon is probably attached to the leaf litter on the ground under the host plant. There is one generation per year. Adults are on the wing in November and December and are attracted to light.
Stigmella laquaeorum is a species of moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has only been found on Snares Islands / Tini Heke. The egg is laid on the underside leaf. Larvae are leaf miners. There may be up to 20 mines per leaf. Larvae are present in all months. The cocoon is attached to fallen large debris or trunk bases. Adults have been recorded on the wing from late November to February. They are diurnal, flying only in the morning. This species is classified as "At Risk, Naturally Uncommon" by the Department of Conservation.
Stigmella lucida, also known as the silver beech miner moth, is a species of moth of the family Nepticulidae. It was first described by Alfred Philpott. This species is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the North and South Islands. Its preferred habitat is native forest populated with its larval host species Nothofagus menziesii. Larvae of this species mine the leaves of its host plant. Adults are on the wing from September to January.
Stigmella maoriella, the pigmy leafminer moth, is a species of moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found from Auckland to the Hawke's Bay. Larvae are leaf miners of species in the genus Olearia. Adults have been observed on the wing in October. This species is classified as Not Threatened by the Department of Conservation.
Stigmella ogygia is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1889. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the North, South and Stewart Islands. This species inhabits the margins of native forest where its larval plant host species are found. Eggs are laid singly on the upper side of the host plant leaf and the larva burrows directly through the bottom of the egg into the leaf-substance. The larvae mine the leaves of Senecio species including Senecio biserratus and Senecio minimus, as well as the leaves of Brachyglottis turneri. The larva emerges from its mine and pupates on the ground near of the larval host plant. Adults are day flying and have been recorded on the wing in March, July and from September to December. There are probably continuous generations throughout the year.
Stigmella oriastra is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. This species was first described by Edward Meyrick. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the South Island. The larva are leaf miners of Celmisia species, including Celmisia coriacea and Celmisia densiflora. They have been recorded in February, April and May. Adults are on the wing in January and from October to December. Adults run and takes rapid short flights. There is likely one generation per year.
Stigmella platina is a species of moth in the family Nepticulidae. It was first described by Hans Donner and Christopher Wilkinson in 1989. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in both the North and South Islands at Arthur's Pass and Kapuni Valley in Egmont National Park. The larvae are leaf miners and the likely larval host plant is Brachyglottis elaeagnifolia. Adults are on the wing in January and February.
Stigmella progonopis is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1921. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the North, South and Stewart Islands. This species inhabits montane to subalpine native forest and shrubland. Larvae are leaf miners and have been recorded from April to August. They feed on Dracophyllum traversii, Dracophyllum longifolium, Dracophyllum menziesii,Dracophyllum latifolium and Gaultheria crassa. Adults are on the wing in January and February and there is one generation per year.
Stigmella sophorae is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. This species was first described by George Hudson in 1939. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the North and South Islands. Larvae are leaf miners and feed on Sophora tetraptera and Sophora microphylla. Larvae have been observed from April to August. Adults have been seen on the wing in February and from August to December. There is one generation per year.
Stigmella watti is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. This species was first described in 1989 by Hans Donner and Christopher Wilkinson. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in Fiordland, Southland and on Stewart Island. The larvae feed on Olearia colensoi νar. grandis and possibly Olearia oporina by mining the leaves of those plants. Larvae have been observed in May while adults are on the wing in February. S. watti was named in honour of Morris N. Watt.
Hierodoris electrica is a moth of the family Oecophoridae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1889. It is endemic to New Zealand, where it has been reported from the northern and southern parts of the South Island. The larva of H. electrica has yet to be described. The wingspan is between 15 and 16.5 mm. The ground colour of the forewings is dark brown, with narrow yellow scales overlaying this base colour. The hindwings are brown. The known larval host species is Olearia nummulariifolia.