Stigmella suberivora
This record describes Stigmella suberivora (species). Recorded family: Nepticulidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wingspan about 6 mm. The adults are dark grey/blackish with a faint purplish tinge and a yellow head. Leaf mine on Holm Oak and related evergreen oaks have a wide gallery, usually along leaf-edge before turning towards midrib. There is a broad band of frass in the middle, leaving clear margins. It can look very similar to Ectoedemia heringella mines on Holm Oak. Provide clear backlit images showing frass pattern. The eggs are laid on the upper surface of the leaves of Holm Oak, and the yellow larva creates a fairly broad mine almost filled with frass. A bivoltine species with larvae mining leaves during mid-summer and again during the winter-spring period. It is found mainly in southern England but apparently rather local. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local. http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/S.suberivora.htm https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/monotrysia/nepticuloidea/nepticulidae/stigmella/stigmella-suberivora/
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 Holm Oak is present.
Seasonal Activity
May to July and August to September.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
The eggs are laid on the upper surface of the leaves of Holm Oak, and the yellow larva creates a fairly broad mine almost filled with frass. A bivoltine species with larvae mining leaves during mid-summer and again during the winter-spring period.
Additional species information
Recorded status
It is found mainly in southern England but apparently rather local. 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 suberivora. 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 suberivora (10)
Frequently Asked Questions About Stigmella suberivora
What is Stigmella suberivora?
Stigmella suberivora is a species in the family Nepticulidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Stigmella suberivora found?
Habitat: Areas where Holm Oak is present.
When is Stigmella suberivora active?
Stigmella suberivora: seasonal activity - May to July and August to September..
What is the life cycle of a Stigmella suberivora?
The eggs are laid on the upper surface of the leaves of Holm Oak, and the yellow larva creates a fairly broad mine almost filled with frass. A bivoltine species with larvae mining leaves during mid-summer and again during the winter-spring period.