''Pectinivalva scotodes'' 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

Nepticulidae Nepticulidae is a family of very small moths with a worldwide distribution. They are characterised by eyecaps over the eyes (see also Opostegidae, Bucculatricidae, Lyonetiidae). These pigmy moths or midget moths, as they are commonly known, inc ...

. It is found in

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

and southern

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

. The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the opposite wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingsp ...

is 5.2–5.7 mm for males and 5.0–5.2 mm for females. In males, the thorax and forewings are entirely blackish brown with a row of long blackish androconial scales projecting from the dorsum. The hindwings are rather broad, dark brown and have a small narrow androconial pocket basally. Females have a paler thorax and forewings. These are yellowish, overlain more or less extensively with brownish fuscous scales. The hindwings are grey and narrower than in males.Phylogeny and host-plant relationships of the Australian Myrtaceae leafmining moth genus Pectinivalva (Lepidoptera, Nepticulidae), with new subgenera and species
The larvae feed on ''

Eucalyptus pilularis ''Eucalyptus pilularis'', commonly known as blackbutt, is a species of medium-sized to tall tree that is Endemism, endemic to eastern Australia. It has rough, finely fibrous greyish bark on the lower half of the trunk, smooth white, grey or cream ...

'', '' Eucalyptus carnea'', ''

Eucalyptus acmenoides ''Eucalyptus acmenoides'', commonly known as white mahogany or barayly,Les Robinson - Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney, page 40 is a species of tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a large tree with grey to reddish brown, ...

'' and probably ''

Eucalyptus saligna ''Eucalyptus saligna'', commonly known as the Sydney blue gum or blue gum, is a species of medium-sized to tall tree that is Endemism, endemic to eastern Australia. It has rough, flaky bark near the base of the trunk, smooth bark above, lance-s ...

''. They

mine Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to: Extraction or digging *Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging *Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine Grammar *Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun M ...

the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts as a tight spiral around the egg, causing a raised red-brown spot on the leaf. It later broadens into a more or less contorted linear gallery with black

frass Frass refers loosely to the more or less solid excreta of insects, and to certain other related matter. Definition and etymology ''Frass'' is an informal term and accordingly it is variously used and variously defined. It is derived from the ...

, leaving narrow clear margins. The exit-hole is located on the leaf underside and has the form of a crescentic hole. Several mines may be found in a single leaf. Pupation takes place in a reddish-brown cocoon.

Etymology

The specific name is derived from the Greek ''skotodes'' (meaning either dark or dizzy) and refers to both the blackish coloration of the adult male moth, and to the habit of the young larvae, which mine in tight circles.

References

Moths described in 2013 Moths of Australia Nepticulidae {{Nepticulidae-stub