Eriocraniella mediabulla
| Eriocraniella mediabulla | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Eriocraniidae |
| Genus: | Eriocraniella |
| Species: | E. mediabulla
|
| Binomial name | |
| Eriocraniella mediabulla | |
Eriocraniella mediabulla is a moth of the family Eriocraniidae.[2][3][4] It was described by Donald R. Davis and Stanley H. Faeth in 1986.[1] It is found along the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plain from north-eastern Texas, Louisiana, to Florida, Georgia,[1] and North Carolina.[4]
Description
The length of the forewings is 3.8–4.1 mm for males and 3.3–3.7 mm for females. The forewings are uniformly black with a distinct golden to sometimes bluish luster. The hindwings are slightly paler and fuscous with a distinct purplish luster along the costal half. Adults are on wing from early March to mid April in one generation per year.[1][4]
The larvae feed on Quercus nigra and possibly Quercus falcata, Quercus alba, Quercus hemisphaerica and Quercus virginiana,[1] and several other oaks.[4] They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts as a serpentine mine in the upper epidermis of the leaf, proceeding along the leaf edge to the apical portion of the leaf where a full-depth, blotch-shaped mine is produced. Full-grown larvae cut a hole in the lower leaf surface and drop to the soil surface. There, they burrow into the soil and spin a cocoon.[1][4]
Etymology
The specific name is derived from Latin media (meaning middle) and bulla (meaning knob) and refers to the diagnostic midventral, knoblike process on the vinculum of the male.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Davis, Donald R. & Faeth, Stanley H. (1986). "A new oak-mining eriocraniid moth from Southeastern United States (Lepidoptera: Eriocraniidae)". Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 88: 145–153.
- ^ "Eriocraniella (Disfurcula) mediabulla Davis & Faeth, 1986". Catalogue of Life. Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ "070012 – 0013.1 Eriocraniella mediabulla Davis & Faeth, 1986". Digital Guide to Moth Identification. Moth Photographers Group, Mississippi Entomological Museum. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Hall, S.P.; et al. (2025). "Eriocraniella mediabulla Davis & Faeth, 1986". Moths of North Carolina. Raleigh (NC): North Carolina Biodiversity Project and North Carolina State Parks. Retrieved 16 February 2025. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.