Elachista brachyelytrifoliella - Hodges#1132
Elachista brachyelytrifoliella
This record describes Elachista brachyelytrifoliella (species). Recorded family: Elachistidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult : The basal third of the FW is gray, shading to dark blackish brown outwardly. A white line follows the costal margin from near the base of the costa, diverging from the costa as a short streak ending just within the dark brown portion of the wing. There is a pair of silvery white spots just beyond the middle. HW dark brownish gray.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Gelechioidea
- Family
- Elachistidae (Grass Miner Moths)
- Subfamily
- Elachistinae
- Genus
- Elachista
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia
Seasonal Activity
Adults have been recorded on wing nearly year round.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae feed on Brachyelytrum erectum (Schreb.). They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts as a fine linear gallery, often following the margin of the leaf. It later becomes an elongate blotch. Sometimes a second mine is made. Records of other host plants attributed to brachyelytrifoliella in the literature apply to related species.
Life History
Mining larvae can be found from early July to October. Pupation takes place in a crevice beneath two layers of silk.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Elachista brachyelytrifoliella. 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 Elachista brachyelytrifoliella - Hodges#1132 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Robert Lord Zimlich; Additional contributions by Blocky
Frequently Asked Questions About Elachista brachyelytrifoliella - Hodges#1132
What is Elachista brachyelytrifoliella - Hodges#1132?
Elachista brachyelytrifoliella - Hodges#1132 (Elachista brachyelytrifoliella) is a species in the family Elachistidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Elachista brachyelytrifoliella - Hodges#1132?
Wingspan: 5.5-7.5 mm
How do you identify Elachista brachyelytrifoliella - Hodges#1132?
Adult : The basal third of the FW is gray, shading to dark blackish brown outwardly. A white line follows the costal margin from near the base of the costa, diverging from the costa as a short streak ending just within the dark brown portion of the wing. There is a pair of silvery white spots just beyond the middle. HW dark brownish gray.
Where is Elachista brachyelytrifoliella - Hodges#1132 found?
Range: Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia
What does Elachista brachyelytrifoliella - Hodges#1132 eat?
The diet of the Elachista brachyelytrifoliella - Hodges#1132 includes Larvae feed on Brachyelytrum erectum (Schreb.). They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts as a fine linear gallery, often following the margin of the leaf. It later becomes an elongate blotch. Sometimes a second mine is made. Records of other host plants attributed to brachyelytrifoliella in the literature apply to related species..
When is Elachista brachyelytrifoliella - Hodges#1132 active?
Elachista brachyelytrifoliella - Hodges#1132: seasonal activity - Adults have been recorded on wing nearly year round..
What is the life cycle of a Elachista brachyelytrifoliella - Hodges#1132?
Mining larvae can be found from early July to October. Pupation takes place in a crevice beneath two layers of silk.