The European oak leaf-miner or Zeller's midget (Phyllonorycter messaniella) is a moth of the family Gracillariidae. It is found in Europe south of the line running from Ireland, through Great Britain, Denmark to Ukraine. It is also found in Macaronesia. It is an introduced species in New Zealand and Australia.[2][3]
| Phyllonorycter messaniella | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Gracillariidae |
| Genus: | Phyllonorycter |
| Species: | P. messaniella
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| Binomial name | |
| Phyllonorycter messaniella | |
| Synonyms | |
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The wingspan is 7–9 mm. The forewings are light golden ochreous; a whitish dark-margined median streak from base almost to middle; four costal and three dorsal shining white wedge-shaped spots, dark-margined anteriorly and first pair except towards origin posteriorly, first dorsal very long, reaching opposite apex of second costal; a black apical dot. Hindwings are grey. The larva is yellow, paler anteriorly; dorsal line dark green; head brownish.[4]
Adults are on wing from April to November in a number of generations.[5]
The larvae feed on Carpinus betulus, Castanea sativa, Fagus sylvatica, Prunus, Quercus ilex, Quercus petraea, Quercus robur, Quercus suber, Quercus x turneri and Tilia species.[3] They mine the leaves of their host plant creating a small, oval, lower-surface tentiform mine which is mostly located between two lateral veins. The lower epidermis has a single sharp fold, which is sometimes forked near the end. The pupa is made in flimsy cocoon, that contains some frass.[6]
References edit
- ^ "Phyllonorycter messaniella (Zeller, 1846)". Fauna Europeae. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
- ^ Common, I F B (January 1977). "The Oak Leaf‐miner, Phyllonorycter messaniella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) Established In Australia". Australian Journal of Entomology. 15 (4): 471–3. doi:10.1111/j.1440-6055.1976.tb01735.x.
- ^ a b Robert J. B. Hoare; Brian H Patrick; Thomas R. Buckley (22 July 2019). "A new leaf-mining moth from New Zealand, Sabulopteryx botanica sp. nov. (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae, Gracillariinae), feeding on the rare endemic shrub Teucrium parvifolium (Lamiaceae), with a revised checklist of New Zealand Gracillariidae". ZooKeys. 865 (865): 39–65. doi:10.3897/ZOOKEYS.865.34265. ISSN 1313-2989. PMC 6663935. PMID 31379443. Wikidata Q70104394.
- ^ Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London pdf
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Keys and description
- ^ Kimber, Ian. "Phyllonorycter messaniella (Zeller, 1846)". UKmoths. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
- ^ Ellis, W N. "Phyllonorycter messaniella (Zeller, 1846) garden midget". Plant Parasites of Europe. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
External links edit
Media related to Phyllonorycter messaniella at Wikimedia Commons
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