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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Pygmy Leafmining Moths (Nepticuloidea) » Nepticulidae

Family Nepticulidae

Nepticulidae IMG_1828 - Glaucolepis saccharella Leaf mine on Island Redberry (Rhamnus pirifolia) - Stigmella Stigmella nigriverticella Lake Aberdeen leaf miner on Morella carolinensis D548 2017 1 - Stigmella Lake Crabtree leaf miner on Rubus species D1070 2018 1 - Ectoedemia rubifoliella St. Andrews leaf miner on Alnus serrulata SA1393 2018 2 - Stigmella Blythe Island Regional Park GA leaf miner on Galactia elliottii D1651 2019 5 - Acalyptris Stigmella corylifoliella - female
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Nepticuloidea (Pygmy Leafmining Moths)
Family Nepticulidae
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Nepticulidae Braun, 1917
Explanation of Names
From the type genus Nepticula, Latin meaning "granddaughter." (1)
Numbers
97 described species in North America (9 introduced) and many more undescribed; 862 described species worldwide (2)
Size
Forewing lengths from 1.5 - 4.5 mm. (3)
Identification
Adult - some of the smallest Lepidoptera, the basal antennal segment (scape) greatly enlarged and forming a cap over the upper half of the large eye. Forewing broad with long scale fringes. (3)
Larva - legless.
Food
Larvae often leaf mine in woody plants. Adults use rudimentary proboscis to lap up honeydew secreted by aphids. (3)
Print References
Braun, A.F. 1917. Nepticulidae of North America. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 43: 155-209 (4)
Davis, D.R. 1978. New leaf-mining moths of the family Nepticulidae from Florida. The Florida Entomologist 61(4): 209-224 (PDF) (5)
Works Cited
1.An accentuated list of the British Lepidoptera, with hints on the derivation of the names.
Anonymous. 1858. The Entomological Societies of Oxford and Cambridge.
2.Revised classification and catalogue of global Nepticulidae and Opostegidae (Lepidoptera, Nepticuloidea)
3.Moths of Western North America
Powell and Opler. 2009. UC Press.
4.Nepticulidae of North America.
Annette F. Braun. 1917. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 43: 155-209.
5.New leaf-mining moths of the family Nepticulidae from Florida.
Donald R. Davis. 1978. The Florida Entomologist 61(4): 209-224.
Contributed by Dennis Profant on 19 July, 2007 - 11:52am
Additional contributions by ceiseman, Randy Hardy
Last updated 17 November, 2016 - 7:18am

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