Philocryptica

Philocryptica
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Tortricidae
Subfamily: Tortricinae
Genus: Philocryptica
Meyrick, 1923
Species: P. polypodii
Binomial name
Philocryptica polypodii
(Watt, 1921)
Synonyms
  • Harmologa polypodii Watt, 1921

Philocryptica is a genus of moths belonging to the subfamily Tortricinae of the family Tortricidae.[1] It contains only one species, Philocryptica polypodii, the leather-leaf star-miner, which is found in New Zealand, where it has been recorded from both the North Island and the South Island (as far south as Banks Peninsula).[2]

The wingspan is about 10 mm. The forewings are light brown, shaded with reddish brown towards the wing tip.

The larvae feed on Pyrrosia eleagnifolia, mining the leaves. Young larvae create a number of mines radiating from the base. Older larvae create a large blotch mine. Full-grown larvae reach a length of 12-14 mm.[3]

Gallery

Philocryptica polypodii (Watt, 1921). Leaf mines in Pyrrosia eleagnifolia (Bory) Hovenkamp, 1984. 

See also

References

  1. ↑ Baixeras, J., Brown, J. W., and Gilligan, T. M. "Online World Catalogue of the Tortricidae". Tortricidae.com. Retrieved January 20, 2009.
  2. ↑ Patrick, B. 2015: Leather-leaf fern's moth fauna. Weta, 49: 23-27. [See p. 24, and fig. 2 (In error as Phyllocrypta polypodii in caption)]
  3. ↑ Leather-leaf star-miner - Philocryptica polypodii
Wikispecies has information related to: Philocryptica
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Philocryptica.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, November 08, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.