Tulip Tree Leaf Miner
Phyllocnistis liriodendronella
This record describes Phyllocnistis liriodendronella (species). Recorded family: Gracillariidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Phyllocnistis liriodendronella is a moth of the Gracillariidae family, known from the United States (New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Kentucky). The hostplants for the species include Liriodendron tulipifera, Magnolia glauca, Magnolia grandiflora, and Magnolia virginiana. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of a long, winding, linear mine on either surface of the leaf, especially the small terminal leaves.
Wikipedia reference for Phyllocnistis liriodendronella: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllocnistis_liriodendronella.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Gracillarioidea
- Family
- Gracillariidae (Leaf Blotch Miner Moths)
- Subfamily
- Phyllocnistinae
- Genus
- Phyllocnistis
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Phyllocnistis liriodendronella. 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.
