Stigmella splendidissimella
This record describes Stigmella splendidissimella (species). Recorded family: Nepticulidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wingspan 4.5 to 6 mm. Adults may only be identified via dissection or if reared from a leaf mine [when black head colouration separates from orange head of S. aurella]. Leafmine occurs on a number of plants including Bramble, Wild Strawberry, Agrimony and various Geum species. http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/S.splendidissimella.htm The mine is a long meandering gallery with a neat central frass line. S. aurella produces similar mines usually with dispersed frass, but can produce mines that are very similar to S. splendidissimella. Therefore all leaf mine records of either species where the frass line is central and not dispersed should be tenanted and reared through to adult. Areas where the larval foodplants are present. Tenanted mines typically found May - June and August - September. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.
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
Areas where the larval foodplants are present.
Seasonal Activity
Tenanted mines typically found May - June and August - September.
Additional species information
Recorded status
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 splendidissimella. 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 splendidissimella (9)
Frequently Asked Questions About Stigmella splendidissimella
What is Stigmella splendidissimella?
Stigmella splendidissimella is a species in the family Nepticulidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Stigmella splendidissimella found?
Habitat: Areas where the larval foodplants are present.
When is Stigmella splendidissimella active?
Stigmella splendidissimella: seasonal activity - Tenanted mines typically found May - June and August - September..