Stigmella samiatella
This record describes Stigmella samiatella (species). Recorded family: Nepticulidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wingspan 5 to 7 mm. This tiny purple-bronze moth is a member of the unicolorous ruficapitella group of Nepticulidae. The larva creates a quite long and contorted gallery mine in oak ( Quercus ) or sweet chestnut ( Castanea sativa) . The gallery is long and broad, frass dispersed in later part of mine. Can be recorded on Sweet Chestnut; mines on oak cannot be recorded unless adults have been reared and identified. There are two generations, creating leaf mines in June/July and September/October. This species was until recently poorly recorded in Britain. As more studies have been undertaken, it has been found to be more widely present than previously thought. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local. http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/S.samiatella.htm https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/monotrysia/nepticuloidea/nepticulidae/stigmella/stigmella-samiatella/
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 the larval foodplants occur.
Seasonal Activity
Adults in June and from July to August.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
There are two generations, creating leaf mines in June/July and September/October.
Additional species information
Recorded status
This species was until recently poorly recorded in Britain. As more studies have been undertaken, it has been found to be more widely present than previously thought. 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 samiatella. 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 samiatella (9)
Frequently Asked Questions About Stigmella samiatella
What is Stigmella samiatella?
Stigmella samiatella is a species in the family Nepticulidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Stigmella samiatella found?
Habitat: Where the larval foodplants occur.
When is Stigmella samiatella active?
Stigmella samiatella: seasonal activity - Adults in June and from July to August..
What is the life cycle of a Stigmella samiatella?
There are two generations, creating leaf mines in June/July and September/October.