Stigmella trimaculella

Stigmella trimaculella is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is found in most of Europe, east to the eastern part of Palearctic realm.

Stigmella trimaculella mine

Stigmella trimaculella
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nepticulidae
Genus:	Stigmella
Species:	S. trimaculella
Binomial name
Stigmella trimaculella (Haworth, 1828)
Synonyms
Tinea trimaculella Haworth, 1828 Nepticula albicornella Kollar in Nowicki, 1860 Nepticula gilvella Rossler, 1866 Nepticula populella Herrich-Schaffer, 1855 Nepticula populicola Sorhagen, 1922 Nepticula rufella Zeller, 1849 Stigmella subtrimaculella Dufrane, 1949

The wingspan is 5–6 millimetres (0.20–0.24 in). The thick erect hairs on the head vertex are ochreous-yellowish. The collar is white. Antennal eyecaps are whitish. The forewings are dark fuscous; a broad median longitudinal patch extending from base to near middle, and large opposite sometimes confluent triangular costal and dorsal spots beyond middle whitish-yellowish. Hindwings are grey. Abdomen of male yellowish, crimson-tinged.[1] External image

Adults are on wing in May and again in August.[2]

The larvae feed on Populus alba, Populus angustifolia, Populus x canadensis, Populus candicans, Populus canescens, Populus deltoides, Populus nigra, Populus simonii, Populus suaveolens, Populus tremula and Populus trichocarpa. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a corridor. The first part of the mine is straight and narrow, and often follows a vein. The frass is concentrated in a nearly uninterrupted central line that does not occupy the full width of the gallery . The second part is considerably broader, sometimes almost resembling a blotch. The frass pattern here is very variable, ranging from a narrow central line to a broad band.[3]