Genus Phyllocnistis

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Food · Remarks · See Also · Internet References · Works Cited

common aspen leaf miner - Phyllocnistis populiella

Common Aspen Leaf Miner - Hodges #0852 (Phyllocnistis populiella) - Phyllocnistis populiella

Unid Leafminer Dtf4 - Phyllocnistis insignis

Lake Crabtree leaf miner on Muscadinia rotundifolia Phyllocnistis vitigenella 2018 11 - Phyllocnistis vitegenella

Sanibel Island leaf miner on Parthenocissus quinquefolia D1365 2019 3 - Phyllocnistis ampelopsiella

Tulip Tree Leaf Miner - Phyllocnistis liriodendronella

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 Gracillarioidea (Ribbed Cocoon-maker and Leaf Blotch Miner Moths)

Family Gracillariidae (Leaf Blotch Miner Moths)

Subfamily Phyllocnistinae

Genus Phyllocnistis

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Phyllocnistis Zeller, 1848

Explanation of Names

Generic epithet Phyllocnistis is Greek meaning "leaf scraper." (1)

Numbers

12 species in North America.

Identification

Adult - very tiny; forewing white or pale with dark markings along distal half of costa and near apex; hindwing lance-like with wide fringe of hair-like scales.

Range

Throughout much of United States and southern Canada. Also represented in several other areas of the world.

Food

Larvae mine the leaves of various trees and shrubs.

Remarks

P. citrella is considered a pest of Citrus trees in several areas of the world.

See Also

Some of the white Phyllonorycter species are similar but have a prominent bushy tuft of scales on the head, whereas the head vestiture of Phyllocnistis is slicked down and shiny (see comment by Terry Harrison here).

Internet References

live images of all life stages of P. citrella, plus description, foodplants, distribution, control (Don Herbison-Evans and Stella Crossley, U. of Technology, Australia)

live adult and leaf mine images of P. populiella (Jeremy Tatum, Butterflies and Moths of Southern Vancouver Island)

Wikipedia

Zookeys. Biology and systematics of the New World Phyllocnistis Zeller leafminers of the avocado genus Persea (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae)

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.

Contributed by tom murray on 7 January, 2007 - 8:50pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Robin McLeod, ceiseman, Randy Hardy
Last updated 2 November, 2015 - 3:31pm

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