''Stigmella floslactella'' 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 found in all of Europe, except the

Balkan Peninsula The Balkans ( ), also known as 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 throughout the whol ...

and the Mediterranean islands.

Description

The

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

is . Unlike many other ''Stigmella'', this species is quite variable in the colour of its wings. The antennae are filamentous, yellowish-brown and about half as long as the forewing. The innermost, greatly expanded joint is white, the head is covered with yellow hairs. The forebody can vary in colour from yellowish-brown to brownish-black, the hind body is dark. The forewings are relatively brightly coloured, with conspicuously large scales. They can be uniformly brownish, yellow with a dark tip or yellowish-brown with a broad, slightly curved, light transverse band, in which case the tip is usually darker. If the basic colour is light, there are usually scattered, darker scales there as well. The hind wing is narrow, grey, with long fringes. The species is usually fairly easy to recognize by the light wing color, most other dwarf ''Stigmella'' are much darker. Adults are on wing in May and again in August. There are two generations per year.

Occurrences and ecology

''Stigmella floslactella'' occurs in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

where it is known to feed on various

hornbeam Hornbeams are hardwood trees in the flowering plant genus ''Carpinus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The 30–40 species occur across much of the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Origin of names The common English name ''hornb ...

and

hazel The hazel (''Corylus'') is a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K. (1999 ...

species, including '' Corylus advenella''. It is considered to be an uncommon visitor to

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

and the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, where it feed on ''

Carpinus betulus ''Carpinus betulus'', the European or common hornbeam, is a species of tree in the birch family Betulaceae, native to Western Asia and central, eastern, and southern Europe, including southern England. It requires a warm climate for good growth, ...

'' and ''

Corylus avellana ''Corylus avellana'', the common hazel, is a species of flowering plant in the birch family Betulaceae. It is native to Europe and western Asia. It is an important component of the hedgerows that were the traditional field boundaries in lowland En ...

''.

Ecology

The larvae feed on ''Carpinus betulus'', ''Corylus avellana'', ''

Corylus maxima The hazel (''Corylus'') is a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K. (1999). ...

'' and ''

Ostrya carpinifolia ''Ostrya carpinifolia'', the European hop-hornbeam, is a tree in the family Betulaceae. It is the only species of the genus '' Ostrya'' that is native to Europe. The specific epithet ''carpinifolia'' means "hornbeam-leaved", from , the Latin wor ...

''. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a slender, gradually widening corridor. The last section is considerably wider than the larva. The trajectory of the mine is not angular and is independent of the leaf venation. Pupation takes place outside of the mine. Emmet, A. M., 1976. Nepticulidae. — In: J. Heath (ed.). ''

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 vol ...

'' 1: 171—267, pls. 1—7, 11, 12.

References

External links

Swedish moths ''Stigmella floslactella'' images
at

Consortium for the Barcode of Life The Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL) was an international initiative dedicated to supporting the development of DNA barcoding as a global standard for species identification. CBOL's Secretariat Office is hosted by the National Museum of ...

Nepticulidae Moths described in 1828 Moths of Europe {{Stigmella-stub