Recurvaria_consimilis - Recurvaria consimilis Near St. Anne, Iroquois County, Illinois, USA May 22, 2010 Size: FW length, 4.0mm
This image shows early and late-stage larval leaf mines, and a reared adult moth, of Recurvaria consimilis Braun (Gelechiidae). The leaf mines were collected near St. Anne, Iroquois County, Illinois on 22 May, 2010. The larval host is New Jersey tea, Ceanothus americanus (Rhamnaceae). The larva first makes a half-depth track that runs longitudinally alongside the midvein of the leaf. Then it makes full-depth tracks that run toward the lateral leaf margins in either direction, perpendicular to the initial half-depth track. It then makes full-depth tracks that run from the lateral tracks toward the apex of the leaf. This is the stage of the mine that is seen in the upper left-hand panel. By the time it finishes feeding, the larva widens the full-depth tracks into irregular blotch-like excavations (upper right-hand panel, showing terminal-stage leaf mine with mature larva inside). Both of the leaf mines shown here produced adult R. consimilis. The adult moth shown here emerged on 4 June, 2010 and is the same individual as the larva shown in the upper right-hand panel.
Contributed by Terry Harrison on 4 June, 2010 - 2:43pm Last updated 31 December, 2010 - 12:21am |