Stigmella perpygmaeella
This record describes Stigmella perpygmaeella (species). Recorded family: Nepticulidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wingspan about 5 mm. Adult moths are unicolourous, the forewings being greyish to dark brown, with a slight bronzy or purplish sheen. The head is yellow or orange and the eyecaps creamy-white, however the species is usually recorded from the leafmine. The larvae feed on Hawthorn mining the leaf and forming a compact twisting gallery that usually becomes a 'false blotch' - where the gallery twists back on itself and touches the sides of the earlier part of the gallery. The larva is yellow. Other mines on Hawthorn - Ectoedemia atricollis, Stigmella hybnerella Leafmine: Mines starting in the petiole, especially in the earlier brood, may not be reliably named if not tenanted. Unless identified by a recognised expert, a photo is required showing the key ID features. There are two generations, with larvae to be found in July and October, and adults on the wing in May and again in August. As is usual with the Nepticulidae, the autumn mines are generally more plentiful. Reasonably well-distributed throughout Britain. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common. http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/S.perpygmaeella.htm https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/monotrysia/nepticuloidea/nepticulidae/stigmella/stigmella-perpygmaeella/ No additional images available for this species.
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 Hawthorn is present.
Seasonal Activity
There are two generations, with larvae to be found in July and October, and adults on the wing in May and again in August. As is usual with the Nepticulidae, the autumn mines are generally more plentiful.
Additional species information
Recorded status
Reasonably well-distributed throughout Britain. 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 perpygmaeella. 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 perpygmaeella (5)
Frequently Asked Questions About Stigmella perpygmaeella
What is Stigmella perpygmaeella?
Stigmella perpygmaeella is a species in the family Nepticulidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Stigmella perpygmaeella found?
Habitat: Where Hawthorn is present.
When is Stigmella perpygmaeella active?
Stigmella perpygmaeella: seasonal activity - There are two generations, with larvae to be found in July and October, and adults on the wing in May and again in August. As is usual with the Nepticulidae, the autumn mines are generally more plentiful..