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| Insects of Britain and Ireland: the families of Lepidoptera |
Stigmellidae
Adults relatively long-bodied; medium built (wingspan more than 8 and less than 15 times the thoracic width); wings in repose packed with the forewings directed backwards to cover hindwings and abdomen.
Head rough (with erect hair-scales). Antennae very short to of medium length; extending to about 0.5–0.75 times the length of the forewing. Antennae of males simple; non-ciliate. The antennal scape expanded laterally and concave beneath, forming an ‘eye cap’. Ocelli absent. Chaetosemata absent (?). Maxillary palps well developed; 5 segmented; folded. Labial palps drooping (short); 3 segmented. Proboscis absent.
Wingspan 3–9 mm; 10–11 times the thoracic width. Wings aculeate (strewn with minute spines). Forewings narrow; about 2.9–3.7 times as long as wide. Tornus weakly defined to undetectable. Forewings apically blunt, or pointed; predominantly shining-metallic (often bronzy or brassy), or exhibiting shining-metallic markings (e.g., sometimes with golden or silvery marks), or neither shining-metallic nor with shining metallic markings. Hindwings narrow-elongate and very long-fringed; lanceolate; very much narrower than the forewings to similar in breadth to the forewings; with a pointed apex. The fringe of the hindwings 2.5–4 times the width of the membrane. The upper surfaces plain; with neither discal spot nor transverse lines; hindwings with a frenulum (strong in males, represented by a more distal group of costal spines in females).
Neuration of forewings and hindwings similar. Forewings with greatly reduced neuration; 5–8 veined (? - lacking veins 3 and 9, and often some of of 4–8); supposedly lacking anal veins (but identification of the veins is difficult); seemingly lacking a tubular vein 1c; without a discal cell. The transverse vein lacking. Hindwings with well developed neuration, or with greatly reduced neuration (sometimes); 6–7 veined; theoretically lacking anal veins; theoretically lacking a tubular vein 1c; without a discal cell. The transverse vein lacking. Vein 8 of the hindwings not approximating to vein 7.
Fore-legs without a tibial epiphysis. Tibiae of middle legs 2-spurred. Posterior tibiae 4-spurred (and with long bristles).
Eggs, larvae and pupae. Eggs markedly flattened. Larval prolegs 0 (or these rudimentary). Larvae concealed feeders; leaf-mining (rarely in bark).
Pupae concealed (in a firm cocoon); above the ground; in leaves. Empty pupae protruded from place of concealment.
British representation. Genera 9; about 100 species (3 adventives). Ectoedemia occultella (Large Birch Pigmy), Stigmella (Nepticula) anomalella (Rose Leaf Miner), Stigmella (Nepticula) malella (Apple Pygmy), etc.
Classification. Microlepidoptera. Suborder Monotrysia. Superfamily Nepticuloidea.
Illustrations. • Stigmella minusculella, Stigmella tiliae and (mainland-European) S.lonicerarum: Stainton 7, VIII, 1–3 (1862). NEPTICULIDAE. 1, Stigmella minusculella: larva (1a), and mined pieces of pear leaves (1b). 2, Stigmella tiliae: larva (1a), and mined lime leaf (2b). 3, Stigmella lonicerarum: larva (3a), and a mined honesuckle leaf (3b). Stainton 7, VIII (1862). • Stainton 7, VIII (1862): original legend.. • Ectoedemia weaveri, Ectoedemia argyropeza and (mainland-European) Nepticula arcuata: Stainton 7, IX, 1–3 (1862). NEPTICULIDAE. 1, Ectoedemia weaveri: larva (1a); sprig of Vaccinium vitis-idaea, with a leaf showing a flat mine (1b); upperside of a leaf, with an inflated mine (1b*), and underside of the same leaf (1b**). 2, Ectoedemia argyropeza: larva (2a), and a mined leaf of Populus tremula (2b). 3, Nepticula arcuata: larva (3b), and a mined leaf of Potentilla sterilis (3a). Stainton 7, IX (1862). • Stainton 7, IX (1862): original legend.. • Stigmella centifoliella, Stigmella alnetella and Ectoedema occultella (as argentipedella): Stainton 7, X, 1–3 (1862). NEPTICULIDAE. 1, Stigmella centifoliella: larva (1a), and mined rose leaf (1b). 2, Ectoedemia occultella: larva (2a), and mined birch leaf (2b). 3, Stigmella alnetella:larva (3a), and mined alder leaf (3b). Stainton 7, X (1862). • Stainton 7, X (1862): original legend.. • Ectoedemia atricollis, Stigmella myrtitella and Stigmella poterii: Stainton 7, XI, 1–3 (1862). NEPTICULIDAE. 1, Ectoedema atricollis: larva (1a), and mined apple leaf (1b). 2, Stigmella myrtillella: larva (2a), and mined leaves of Vaccinium myrtillus (2b and 2b*). 3, Stigmella poterii: larva (3a), and a leaf of Poterium sanguisorba with several mined leaflets (3b). Stainton 7, XI (1862). • Stainton 7, XI (1862): original legend.. • Nepticuloidea: Ectoedemia crepusculella and Pseudopostega occultella (Stainton). Pseudopostega crepusculella (Opostegidae, left), and Ectoedemia occultella (Nepticulidae, right). From Stainton (1859), with approximate wingspans added. • Ectoedemia, Nepticula, Stigmella, Trifurcula. 11a and 11b, Nepticula hybnerella: fore- and hind-wings. 11''a, Ectoedemia subbimaculella: fore-wing. 11'c, Stigmella aurella, head. 12a-12c, Trifurcula immundella: fore- and hind-wings, and head. 30, Ectoedemia sericopeza. From Stainton (1854, Plates VIII and IX). • Stainton's representative 'Tineina'. Stainton's TINEINA (Nepticulidae italicised). 2, Ochsenheimeria birdella; 3, Tinea ganomella; 4, Eriocrania salopiella; 5, Nemophora metallica; 6, Swammerdamia pyrella; 7, Yponomeuta sedella; 8, Plutella xylostella; 9, Ypsolopha dentella; 10, Agonopterix alstroemeriana; 11, Pexicopia malvella; 12, Chrysoesthia drurella; 13, Ypsolopha parenthesella; 14, Schiffermuelleria grandis; 15, Scythris grandipennis; 16, Glyphipteryx equitella; 17, Heliozela resplendella; 18, Argyresthia bonnetella; 19, Caloptilia alchimiella; 20, Coleophora lineola; 21, Bedellia somnulentella; 22, Cosmopteryx lienigiella; 23, Mompha propinquella; 24, Elachista gangabella; 25, Elachista maculicerusella; 26, Emmetia marginea; 27, Phyllonorycter acerifoliella; 28, Phyllonorycter stettinensis; 29, Leucoptera malifoliella; 30, Ectoedemia sericopeza. From Stainton (1854, Plate IX). • Ectoedemia occultella. E. occultella. • Larvae of 'Tineina' (Stainton). 1, OECOPHORIDAE: Diurnea fagella larva, and (1a) shown between united birch leaves. 2, PSYCHIDIDAE: Taleporia(?) larva, showing cases attached to lichen (2a), and a single case enlarged. 3, YPONOMEUTIDAE: Ochsenheimeria taurella, and (3a) a section of grass stem showing the larva in situ. 4, TINEIDAE: Tineola bisselliella, with a gallery formed in feathers (4a); 4b, a case of Tinea pellionella on a feather. 5, INCURVARIIDAE: Incurvaria praelatella, with a partially devoured wild strawberry leaf (5a), and a case from the underside. 6, Incurvaria pectinea, and (6a) the larva in its case feeding on a fallen oak leaf. 7, Lampronia capitella, with (7a) a currant shoot withering from the effects of the larva feeding in the stem. 8, YPONOMEUTIDAE: Swammerdamia pyrella, with (8a) the larva in its web between united cherry leaves. 9, Yponomeutidae-Plutellinae: Plutella porrectella, and (9a) feeding on a Hesperis leaf. 10, GLYPHIPTERIGIDAE: Orthotelia sparganella, with (10a) an eaten stem of Sparganium. 11. OECOPHORIDAE: Depressaria sp., with (11a) a leaf of Centaurea nigra distorted by its attentions. 12, GELECHIIDAE: Anacampsis temerella, with (12a) a sallow leaf tenanted by it. 13, Metzneria aestivella, with (13a) a sectioned fruiting head of Carlina showing the feeding larva in situ. 14, OECOPHORIDAE: Crassa unitella, and (14a) a piece of decayed wood burrowed by the larvae. 15, GLYPHIPTERIGIDAE: Glyphipteryx equitella, with (15a) shoots of Sedum acre showing the middle one bleached by excavations of the larva. 16, YPONOMEUTIDAE: Argyresthia bonnetella, with (16a) hawthorn shoots eaten by the larva. 17, GRACILLARIIDAE: Caloptilia alchimiella, with (17a) an oak lead exhibiting a cone formed by the larva. 18, OECOPHORIDAE: Agonopterix angelicella, with (18a) its cone on a hawthorn leaf. 19, COLEOPHORIDAE: Coleophora follicularis, with (19a) a mined leaf of Eupatorium, and (19b) the case enlarged. 20, LYONETIIDAE: Bedellia somnulentella, with (20a) a mined Convolvulus arvensis leaf. 21, EPERMENIIDAE: Epermenia chaerophyllellus, with (21a) a portion of Anthriscus sylvestris leaf eaten half through by it. 22, MOMPHIDAE: Chrysoclista linneella, with (22a) a piece of inner bark of lime burrowed by it. 23, ELACHISTIDAE: Elachista maculicerusella. with (23a) a mined Phragmites leaf blade. 24, TISCHERIIDAE: Emmetia marginea, and (24a) a mined bramble leaf. 25, GRACILLARIIDAE: Phyllonorycter quinnata, with (25a) a mined Carpinus leaf. 26, LYONETIIDAE: Leucoptera laburnella, with (26a) a mined Laburnum leaf. 27, Bucculatrix bechsteinella (Bucculatricidae), and a hawthorn leaf eaten half through. 28, NEPTICULIDAE: Nepticula sp., with (28a) a mined Potentilla leaf. From Stainton (1854, Plate X). • Nepticula hemargyrella, neuration.
We advise against extracting comparative information from the descriptions. This is much more easily achieved using the DELTA data files or the interactive key, which allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa. See also Guidelines for using data taken from Web publications.
Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. Insects of Britain and Ireland: the families of Lepidoptera. Version: 14th April 2022. delta-intkey.com’.
