Exoteleia dodecella
This record describes Exoteleia dodecella (species). Recorded family: Gelechiidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wingspan 12 to 15 mm. The larva mines pine needles, entering from a small hole below the leaf tip, which is then sealed with silk. It feeds towards the needle tip, eventally causing a large mine in leaf-tip. The larva is brown with a dark head. seveal other moth species mine pine needles Photograph mine in pine needle, including the mine openings; photograph larva. Note host species The flight period is from June to July, and the moth can be attracted to light, but can also be disturbed from the foodplant by beating. The larvae feed initially internally on the needles of pine (Pinus), and subsequently externally on the shoots, spinning the needles together. Widely distributed throughout much of the British Isles but rather local. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local. http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/E.dodecella.htm https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/gelechioidea/gelechiidae/gelechiinae/teleiodini/exoteleia/exoteleia-dodecella/
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Gelechioidea
- Family
- Gelechiidae (Twirler Moths)
- Subfamily
- Gelechiinae
- Tribe
- Litini
- Genus
- Exoteleia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Occurs in conifer plantations.
Seasonal Activity
The flight period is from June to July, and the moth can be attracted to light, but can also be disturbed from the foodplant by beating.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
The larvae feed initially internally on the needles of pine (Pinus), and subsequently externally on the shoots, spinning the needles together.
Additional species information
Recorded status
Widely distributed throughout much of the British Isles but rather local. 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 Exoteleia dodecella. 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 Exoteleia dodecella (5)
Frequently Asked Questions About Exoteleia dodecella
What is Exoteleia dodecella?
Exoteleia dodecella is a species in the family Gelechiidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Exoteleia dodecella found?
Habitat: Occurs in conifer plantations.
When is Exoteleia dodecella active?
Exoteleia dodecella: seasonal activity - The flight period is from June to July, and the moth can be attracted to light, but can also be disturbed from the foodplant by beating..
What is the life cycle of a Exoteleia dodecella?
The larvae feed initially internally on the needles of pine (Pinus), and subsequently externally on the shoots, spinning the needles together.