Apple Pigmy
Stigmella malella
This record describes Stigmella malella (species). Recorded family: Nepticulidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
The adult has a purple-brown forewing with shining white fascia beyond the middle but identification of adults is very difficult and this species is best recorded from the larval mine. The larvae mine the leaves of Apple species producing a sinuous gallery, widening later, with linear frass. Adult: It may not be possible to identify adults to species level, even by gen det. Leafmine: There are other mines on apple that are quite similar to Stigmella malella mines and great care is needed. A photograph is required showing the backlit mine and the larva if present. Please state the host species when submitting your record. Mines may be seen June to July and then September to October. Fairly widespread, but local in England and Wales. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local. http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/S.malella.htm https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/monotrysia/nepticuloidea/nepticulidae/stigmella/stigmella-malella/
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Family
- Nepticulidae
- Genus
- Stigmella
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Where Apple trees occur.
Seasonal Activity
Mines may be seen June to July and then September to October.
Additional species information
Recorded status
Fairly widespread, but local in England and Wales. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Stigmella malella. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Apple Pigmy (10)
Frequently Asked Questions About Apple Pigmy
What is Apple Pigmy?
Apple Pigmy (Stigmella malella) is a species in the family Nepticulidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How do you identify Apple Pigmy?
of adults is very difficult and this species is best recorded from the larval mine. The larvae mine the leaves of Apple species producing a sinuous gallery, widening later, with linear frass.
Where is Apple Pigmy found?
Habitat: Where Apple trees occur.
When is Apple Pigmy active?
Apple Pigmy: seasonal activity - Mines may be seen June to July and then September to October..