''Macrosaccus neomexicanus'' is a

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

of the family

Gracillariidae Gracillariidae is an important family of insects in the order Lepidoptera and the principal family of leaf miners that includes several economic, horticultural or recently invasive pest species such as the horse-chestnut leaf miner, ''Cameraria ...

. It is known from the south-western United States in the states of

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

and

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

. The length of the forewings is 2.7–3.5 mm. The

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e feed on '' Robinia neomexicana''. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine begins as a relatively short, serpentine track which enlarges to an elongate-oval, whitish blotch located on the underside of the leaflet. As the larva develops and begins laying down silk, the mine becomes strongly tentiform, causing the upper surface to roll over.Systematics and biology of the new genus Macrosaccus with descriptions of two new species (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae)
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Etymology

The specific name is derived from the specific name of its plant host.

Gallery

File:Macrosaccus_neomexicanus_mines.JPG, Mines

References

Lithocolletinae Moths of North America Lepidoptera of the United States Moths described in 2011 Taxa named by Donald R. Davis (entomologist) Leaf miners {{Lithocolletinae-stub