Mompha miscella
This record describes Mompha miscella (species). Recorded family: Momphidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wingspan 7 to 9 mm. Rather more russet brown than other members of the genus. The larva mines the leaves of various species of Rock-rose. Initially a gallery is made and filled with frass. It is widened abruptly into a blotch, which absorbs the gallery and may occupy the whole leaf. The frass may then be dispersed or heaped in the blotch. Photograph the mine and note the host species Where its foodplant Rockrose ( Helianthemum ) occurs. The adults fly in two generations, primarily May to mid-June, and mid-July and August, but specimens can be found any time from late April to early October. Adults can often be taken in a fine meshed net by day, if the foodplants or nearby low vegetation are disturbed. The larva mines the leaves of Helianthemum. A larva may mine more than one leaf before it vacates the mine to pupate in a silk cocoon among leaf litter. The larval stage occurs in October-April and in June-July. Rather local in distribution and usually confined to limestone and chalk areas in southern Britain, but extending onto slightly acid soils in N.E. England and E. Scotland. It may be frequent where its foodplants occur. Its absence from Ireland is accounted for by the extreme rarity there of Helianthemum. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local. http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/M.miscella.htm https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/gelechioidea/momphidae/mompha/mompha-miscella/
Wikipedia reference for Mompha miscella: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mompha_miscella.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Family
- Momphidae
- Genus
- Mompha
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Where its foodplant Rockrose (
Seasonal Activity
The adults fly in two generations, primarily May to mid-June, and mid-July and August, but specimens can be found any time from late April to early October. Adults can often be taken in a fine meshed net by day, if the foodplants or nearby low vegetation are disturbed.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
The larva mines the leaves of Helianthemum. A larva may mine more than one leaf before it vacates the mine to pupate in a silk cocoon among leaf litter. The larval stage occurs in October-April and in June-July.
Additional species information
Recorded status
Rather local in distribution and usually confined to limestone and chalk areas in southern Britain, but extending onto slightly acid soils in N.E. England and E. Scotland. It may be frequent where its foodplants occur. Its absence from Ireland is accounted for by the extreme rarity there of Helianthemum. 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 Mompha miscella. 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 Mompha miscella (2)
Frequently Asked Questions About Mompha miscella
What is Mompha miscella?
Mompha miscella is a species in the family Momphidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Mompha miscella found?
Habitat: Where its foodplant Rockrose (
When is Mompha miscella active?
Mompha miscella: seasonal activity - The adults fly in two generations, primarily May to mid-June, and mid-July and August, but specimens can be found any time from late April to early October. Adults can often be taken in a fine meshed net by day, if the foodplants or nearby low vegetation are disturbed..
What is the life cycle of a Mompha miscella?
The larva mines the leaves of Helianthemum. A larva may mine more than one leaf before it vacates the mine to pupate in a silk cocoon among leaf litter. The larval stage occurs in October-April and in June-July.