''Phyllonorycter nicellii'' 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 found in most of

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, except the

Balkan Peninsula The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

and the

Mediterranean islands The Mediterranean Sea basin is supposed to host more than 10,000 islands, with 2,217 islands larger than 0.01 km2. The two main island countries in the region are Malta and Cyprus, while other countries with islands in the Mediterranean Sea in ...

Description

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 7–8 mm The forewings are shining golden-ochreous, sometimes suffused with brown; base pale; a fascia at 1/4, another in middle, three posterior costal and two dorsal wedge-shaped spots shining whitish, anteriorly blackish-margined, first pair of spots often connected; an oval blackish apical spot. Hindwings are grey.Heath, J. & Emmet, A. M. (Hrsg.) (1985): ''

The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland ''The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland'' (abbreviated to ''MBGBI'' or ''MOGBI'') is a multi-volume reference work on the Lepidoptera of the British Isles. The original publisher of this series was Curwen Books who published vo ...

''. Volume 2: Cossidae – Heliodinidae. Harley Books, Colchester, Essex. It is very similar to ''

Phyllonorycter froelichiella ''Phyllonorycter froelichiella'' is a moth of the family Gracillariidae. It is found in all of Europe, except Greece. The wingspan is 9–10 mm. Differs from ''Phyllonorycter nicellii, P. Nicellii'' as follows : forewings somewhat broader ...

'' qv.

Biology

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 ''

Corylus avellana ''Corylus avellana'', the common hazel, is a species of flowering plant in the birch tree, birch family Betulaceae. The shrubs usually grow tall. The nut is round, in contrast to the longer Corylus maxima, filbert nut. Common hazel is native to E ...

'' and ''

Corylus colurna ''Corylus colurna'', the Turkish hazel or Turkish filbert, is a deciduous tree native to Eurasia. Description It is a large species of hazel, reaching tall, with a stout trunk up to in diameter; the crown is slender and conical in young tre ...

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

the leaves of the host. The moths are on wing in May and August in two generations.

References

External links

lepiforum.de

Fauna Europaea
nicellii Moths described in 1851 Moths of Europe Taxa named by Henry Tibbats Stainton {{Phyllonorycter-stub