Stigmella sorbi
This record describes Stigmella sorbi (species). Recorded family: Nepticulidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult Stigmella are very difficult to identify and this species is best recorded as a leafmine on Rowan, or bred through, the adults are relatively large and often paler than many other Nepticulidae, with pale brownish wings and a broad, poorly defined creamy fascia. The mine is a narrow gallery soon becoming a large round blotch with scattered frass, and these are very obvious, often several to a compound leaf. Adult Leafmine please state the host species (i.e. usually Rowan) Adults can only be reliably recorded when bred from leafmines on Rowan. If recording the leafmine please supply a backlit image and state the host species (i.e. usually Rowan). One of the earlier leafminers to be found in the larval stage, the mines appearing from June and into July, mainly on Rowan. Adults are on the wing in May. The species is commonest in the north of England and Scotland, and is more localised in southern England and Ireland. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common. http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/S.sorbi.htm https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/monotrysia/nepticuloidea/nepticulidae/stigmella/stigmella-sorbi/ 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 Rowan occurs.
Seasonal Activity
One of the earlier leafminers to be found in the larval stage, the mines appearing from June and into July, mainly on Rowan. Adults are on the wing in May.
Additional species information
Recorded status
The species is commonest in the north of England and Scotland, and is more localised in southern England and Ireland. 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 sorbi. 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 sorbi (5)
Frequently Asked Questions About Stigmella sorbi
What is Stigmella sorbi?
Stigmella sorbi is a species in the family Nepticulidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Stigmella sorbi found?
Habitat: Where Rowan occurs.
When is Stigmella sorbi active?
Stigmella sorbi: seasonal activity - One of the earlier leafminers to be found in the larval stage, the mines appearing from June and into July, mainly on Rowan. Adults are on the wing in May..