''Stigmella perpygmaeella'' is a
moth of the family
Nepticulidae, found in most of
Europe, east to
Russia. The larvae
mine the leaves of
hawthorns.
Life cycle
The
wingspan is 5–6 mm. The thick erect hairs on the head vertex are yellow-white and the collar is also yellow-white. Antennal eyecaps yellow-white. Forewings are dark grey brown with purple at the apex. Hindwings are grey. Adults are on wing in May and August.
;Ovum
Eggs are usually laid on the upperside of a hawthorn leaf, beside the midrib.
;Larvae
The larvae are yellow with a brown head.
They feed on woodland hawthorn (''
Crataegus laevigata'') and common hawthorn (''
Crataegus monogyna''), mining their leaves. Mines can be found in July and October.
;Pupa
In a dull pink cocoon, spun in detritus.
Distribution
''Stigmella perpygmaeella'' is found in most of Europe, from
Ireland, east to Russia.
Etymology
''Stigmella perpygmaeella'' was
originally named ''pygmaeus'', (i.e. a small size) by the English
entomologist
Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...
,
Adrian Haworth in 1828, from a
specimen
Specimen may refer to:
Science and technology
* Sample (material), a limited quantity of something which is intended to be similar to and represent a larger amount
* Biological specimen or biospecimen, an organic specimen held by a biorepository ...
found in
Chelsea, at that time in the
county of Middlesex, England. As this name was already in use it was renamed by Henry Doubleday in 1859 with the specific name ''perpygmaeella''. Haworth originally placed the moth in the
genus,
''Tinea'' – a gnawing worm. Doubleday moved ''pygmaeus'' to the genus ''Nepticula'' – a grand daughter, the smallest member of a family (i.e. the small size of the moth) when he renamed it ''perpygmaeella''. The genus ''Stigmella'' – ″stigma″, refers to the conspicuous (or occasionally metallic) small dot or a brand
fascia
A fascia (; plural fasciae or fascias; adjective fascial; from Latin: "band") is a band or sheet of connective tissue, primarily collagen, beneath the skin that attaches to, stabilizes, encloses, and separates muscles and other internal organs. ...
on the forewing of many of the ''Stigmella'' species, or possibly the small size of the moths.
References
External links
Swedish moths''Stigmella perpygmaeella'' imagesat
Consortium for the Barcode of Life
Nepticulidae from the Volga and Ural regionlepiforum.de
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7616778
Nepticulidae
Leaf miners
Moths described in 1859
Moths of Europe
Taxa named by Henry Doubleday