Marmara viburnella - Hodges#0718.3
Marmara viburnella
This record describes Marmara viburnella (species). Recorded family: Gracillariidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Gracillarioidea
- Family
- Gracillariidae (Leaf Blotch Miner Moths)
- Subfamily
- Marmarinae
- Genus
- Marmara
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Adult specimens only known from Nantucket, MA; leaf and stem mines have been found from QC to LA, west to IL.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Adults have been reared from arrowwood ( Viburnum dentatum ); mines have been found on other viburnums including V. lantanoides , V. nudum , and V. rafinesquianum .
Life History
Eggs are deposited singly on viburnum leaves in early summer. The larva initially mines the leaf, then proceeds down the petiole and into the stem, where it completes development as a bark miner. In late spring, it cuts out a flap of bark at the end of its mine and spins its cocoon beneath this. Adults emerge in late June and early July in Massachusetts.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Authors: Eiseman & Davis, 2017
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Marmara viburnella. 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 Marmara viburnella - Hodges#0718.3 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Charley Eiseman; Additional contributions by Steve Nanz
Frequently Asked Questions About Marmara viburnella - Hodges#0718.3
How big is Marmara viburnella - Hodges#0718.3?
Wingspan ~6 mm.
Where is Marmara viburnella - Hodges#0718.3 found?
Range: Adult specimens only known from Nantucket, MA; leaf and stem mines have been found from QC to LA, west to IL.
What does Marmara viburnella - Hodges#0718.3 eat?
The diet of the Marmara viburnella - Hodges#0718.3 includes Adults have been reared from arrowwood ( Viburnum dentatum ); mines have been found on other viburnums including V. lantanoides , V. nudum , and V. rafinesquianum ..
What is the life cycle of a Marmara viburnella - Hodges#0718.3?
Eggs are deposited singly on viburnum leaves in early summer. The larva initially mines the leaf, then proceeds down the petiole and into the stem, where it completes development as a bark miner. In late spring, it cuts out a flap of bark at the end of its mine and spins its cocoon beneath this. Adults emerge in late June and early July in Massachusetts.