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

Family Nepticulidae

Representative Images

Acalyptris mine on Rosa multiflora - Stigmella? - Stigmella rosaefoliella Pelham Road Durham leaf miner on Ulmus alata D280 Stigmella apicialbella 2016 3 - Stigmella apicialbella Reddish oak Stigmella? - Stigmella quercipulchella Stigmella macrocarpae moth Stigmella Zimmermannia obrutella? - Zimmermannia
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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