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Species Dyseriocrania griseocapitella - Chinquapin Leaf-miner Moth - Hodges#0003

Chinquapin Leaf-miner Moth - Hodges #0003  - Dyseriocrania griseocapitella Chinquapin Leaf-miner - Dyseriocrania griseocapitella (Oak) Leaf-miner Moth - Dyseriocrania griseocapitella Dyseriocrania griseocapitella Dyseriocrania griseocapitella Dyseriocrania griseocapitella Dyseriocrania griseocapitella Dyseriocrania griseocapitella
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 Eriocranioidea (Eriocraniid Moths)
Family Eriocraniidae (Eriocraniid Moths)
Genus Dyseriocrania
Species griseocapitella (Chinquapin Leaf-miner Moth - Hodges#0003)
Hodges Number
0003
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Dyseriocrania griseocapitella (Walsingham, 1898)
Eriocrania griseocapitella Walsingham, 1898
Size
Wingspan is 9-13 mm. (1)
Larva to 10 mm. (1)
Identification
Genitalia:


Larva - head pale brown to yellow, thorax dark brown, abdomen whitish except for a pair of minute, longitudinal, brownish spots on the anal segment (1)
Range
Heppner (2003) reported the range to include Nova Scotia to Florida, Michigan to Texas. (2)
Season
The adults appear to be most common during the months of February to July. (3)
Heppner (2003) reported February to March in Florida. (2)
Food
Heppner (2003) reported the following host plants. (2)
Castanea dentata
C. mollissima
C. pumila
Quercus alba
Q. borealis
Q. falcata
Q. velutina
Life Cycle
eggs are inserted singly near the edge of young leaves of oak and chestnut before the leaves have fully opened. Eggs hatch in 7 to 15 days. The mine is a narrow, linear passage extending toward the leaf margin. This early stage of the mine is usually obliterated as the mine is enlarged and often causes a characteristic fissure to form eventually in the leaf. Immediately following the serpentine stage, the mine broadens to form a large, somewhat inflated blotch. Larva usually sweeps in small circles of 5 mm or more radius in feeding, with its anal end functioning as a pivot. The final outline of the mine often results from a series of these semicircles marked by a series of fine, concentric curved lines. The blotch becomes full depth and semitransparent. Consequently, the larva and its dark frass may be easily observed. After feeding for 7 to 10 days the larva drops to the ground and burrows into the soil as deep as 12 inches. A relatively tough oval cocoon measuring approximately 3 mm long and 2 mm in diameter is spun of silk and small particles of soil. The larva diapauses inside this cocoon for several months and pupates in winter. After emerging from the ground, the pupa remains quiescent for an indefinite period until final ecdysis can be performed. Rather soon after emerging from the pupal shell, the adult is capable of flight (1) [Randy Hardy]