Stigmella atricapitella
This record describes Stigmella atricapitella (species). Recorded family: Nepticulidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wingspan 4.5 to 6 mm. Stigmella atricapitella has a black head and dark brownish wings with a bronzy sheen. The larva mine the leaves of various oaks in two generations. The first generation produce a short gallery with frass in thick line. The second generation mine is a longer gallery with the frass in a narrower line. The larva is a whitish-yellow and has dark prothoracic sclerites (which help distinguish it from S. roborella, with a pale head only). Vacated and early mines cannot be identifed. Provide photograph of the mine and of mature larva, showing dark prothoracic plates. Larva mines leaves of Oak, over-wintering as a pupa. Fairly common throughout much of the British Isles. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common. http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/S.atricapitella.htm https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/monotrysia/nepticuloidea/nepticulidae/stigmella/stigmella-atricapitella/
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Family
- Nepticulidae
- Genus
- Stigmella
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Where oak is present.
Seasonal Activity
Leaf-mine: June-July and Sept-Nov.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
Larva mines leaves of Oak, over-wintering as a pupa.
Additional species information
Recorded status
Fairly common throughout much of the British Isles. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Stigmella atricapitella. 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 Stigmella atricapitella (9)
Frequently Asked Questions About Stigmella atricapitella
What is Stigmella atricapitella?
Stigmella atricapitella is a species in the family Nepticulidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Stigmella atricapitella found?
Habitat: Where oak is present.
When is Stigmella atricapitella active?
Stigmella atricapitella: seasonal activity - Leaf-mine: June-July and Sept-Nov..
What is the life cycle of a Stigmella atricapitella?
Larva mines leaves of Oak, over-wintering as a pupa.