Stigmella catharticella
This record describes Stigmella catharticella (species). Recorded family: Nepticulidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
The combination of ferruginous-orange head, white collar and eyecaps, and white tornal spot, is distinctive, but the species is much more frequently recorded in the larval stage due to possible confurion of adult with other Stigmella species. The larva mines the leaves of Buckthorn. The larval foodplant is Buckthorn. Long straight slender gallery, turning into a series of 'S' turns. Frass and larva match colour of leaf and tenanted mines can be hard to find. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local. http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/S.catharticella.htm https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/monotrysia/nepticuloidea/nepticulidae/stigmella/stigmella-catharticella/
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 Buckthorn occurs.
Seasonal Activity
Peak time is around June.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
The larval foodplant is Buckthorn. Long straight slender gallery, turning into a series of 'S' turns. Frass and larva match colour of leaf and tenanted mines can be hard to find.
Additional species information
Recorded status
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 Stigmella catharticella. 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 catharticella (10)
Frequently Asked Questions About Stigmella catharticella
What is Stigmella catharticella?
Stigmella catharticella is a species in the family Nepticulidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Stigmella catharticella found?
Habitat: Where Buckthorn occurs.
When is Stigmella catharticella active?
Stigmella catharticella: seasonal activity - Peak time is around June..
What is the life cycle of a Stigmella catharticella?
The larval foodplant is Buckthorn. Long straight slender gallery, turning into a series of 'S' turns. Frass and larva match colour of leaf and tenanted mines can be hard to find.