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Elachista gangabella

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Elachista gangabella
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Elachistidae
Genus: Elachista
Species:
E. gangabella
Binomial name
Elachista gangabella
Zeller, 1850[1]
Synonyms

Elachista gangabella is a moth of the family Elachistidae. It is found in all of Europe, except the Iberian Peninsula.

Two mined leaves of Dactylis glomerata
Larva

The wingspan is 9–10 millimetres (0.35–0.39 in). The head is blackish-grey.Forewings are blackish ; a straight somewhat inwardly oblique central whitish-yellowish fascia, in male narrowed towards costa ; tips of apical cilia whitish. Hindwings are dark grey.The larva is grey-green, yellowish-tinged ; head yellow-brown ; 2 with two pale brown spots.[2]

Adults are on wing from March to June.[3]

The larvae feed on tor-grass (Brachypodium pinnatum), false-brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum), cock's-foot (Dactylis glomerata) and mountain melick (Melica nutans). They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine is transparent and generally descends from the leaf tip. A central silken tube stretches over the entire length of the mine which the larva uses to retreat in. The frass is deposited in this tube. Feeding takes place from within the tube.[4] They are greyish white. Larvae can be found from September to November. They then hibernate within the mine. In spring, they leave the mine to pupate.

References

  1. ^ "Elachista (Aphelosetia) gangabella Zeller, 1850". Fauna Europaea. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  2. ^ Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London pdf Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Keys and description
  3. ^ "microlepidoptera.nl". Archived from the original on 2011-05-01. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
  4. ^ "Elachista gangabella Zeller, 1850". Bladmineerders.nl. Archived from the original on July 27, 2012. Retrieved September 13, 2011.