Phyllonorycter nigrescentella

Phyllonorycter nigrescentella is a moth of the family Gracillariidae. It is known from all of Europe except the Balkan Peninsula.

Mined leaf of Vicia sepium
Larva

Phyllonorycter nigrescentella
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Infraorder:
Heteroneura
Family:
Gracillariidae
Genus:
Phyllonorycter
Species:
P. nigrescentella
Binomial name
Phyllonorycter nigrescentella
(Logan, 1851)[1]
Synonyms
  • Lithocolletis nigrescentella Logan, 1851

The wingspan is 7–9 mm.[2] The head is fuscous, face leaden-metallic. Forewings golden-ochreous, sometimes more or less suffused with fuscous or dark fuscous ; a silvery-white dark-edged median streak from base to 1/3; a curved fascia before middle, three posterior costal and two dorsal triangular spots silvery-white, dark-margined ; a blackish apical spot. Hindwings are rather dark grey.The larva is yellowish ; dorsal line dark green ; head very pale brownish : [3]


The larvae feed on Lathyrus vernus, Lotus, Medicago, Trifolium alpestre, Trifolium medium, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens, Trifolium rubens, Vicia dumetorum, Vicia sativa and Vicia sepium. They mine the leaves of their host plant. They create a lower surface tentiform mine that occupies an entire leaflet. The lower epidermis is strongly folded. Fully developed mines are strongly inflated and the leaflet is completely folded over the mine making it practically invisible.[4]

References
  1. Fauna Europaea
  2. Hants Moths
  3. Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London pdf This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Keys and description
  4. bladmineerders.nl


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