''Stigmella atrata'' is a

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of ...

of the family Nepticulidae. It is endemic to

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

and has been observed on the North Island, South Island and Stewart Island. The larvae of this species are leaf miners of ''

Brachyglottis elaeagnifolia ''Brachyglottis elaeagnifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is endemic to New Zealand,Brachyglottis rotundifolia'' and have been recorded in April, May, July and September. Larvae pupate on the ground in a cocoon. Adults have been observed on the wing in January, February, November and December. It has been hypothesised that there is probably only one generation per year.

Taxonomy

This species was first described in 1989 by Hans Donner and Christopher Wilkinson using a variety of specimens. The male

holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of seve ...

specimen was collected at Golden Bay, Stewart Island by Morris Netterville Watt and emerged mid November 1959. It is held at the New Zealand Arthropod Collection.

Description

The larvae are about 4 mm long and are pale brown. The length of the forewings of the adult moth is about 4 mm. Donner and Wilkinson described the male of the species as follows: The female of the species was described as follows:

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand. It has been observed in the North Island, South Island and Stewart Island.

Behaviour

The larvae of this species mine the leaves of their host plants. Adults have been recorded as being on the wing in January, February, November and December. There is probably one generation per year.

Host species

The larvae feed on ''

Brachyglottis elaeagnifolia ''Brachyglottis elaeagnifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is endemic to New Zealand,Brachyglottis rotundifolia.''

References

External links

Copyrighted image of male holotype specimen
Te Papa. {{Taxonbar, from=Q7616547 Nepticulidae Moths of New Zealand Endemic fauna of New Zealand Moths described in 1989 Endemic moths of New Zealand