Elachista mutarata

Elachista mutarata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Elachistidae
Genus:	Elachista
Species:	E. mutarata
Binomial name
Elachista mutarata Kaila, 2011

Elachista mutarata is a moth of the Elachistidae family. It is found in the Australian Capital Territory.^[1]

The wingspan is 7.6–9.8 millimetres (0.30–0.39 in) for males and 8.2–8.8 millimetres (0.32–0.35 in) for females. The forewings are basally blue and pale brown. The hindwings are dark grey.

The larvae feed on Carex appressa. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine reaches a length of about 200 millimetres (7.9 in). The frass is deposited in a dense block in the upper part of the mine. The larvae may leave the mine to start a new mine on the same or another leaf. Pupation takes place outside of the mine, along the midrib of a leaf of the host plant.

References

1. Lauri Kaila (2011). "Elachistine Moths of Australia: Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea, Elachistidae". Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera (CSIRO) 2.