''Elachista floccella'' is a
moth of the family
Elachistidae. It is found in Australia in the
Australian Capital Territory,
New South Wales and
Tasmania.
The
wingspan is 11.2–12.8 mm for males and 9.5–12.4 mm for females. The forewings are creamy white. The hindwings are grey.
The larvae feed on both narrow- and broad-leaved variants of ''
Lepidosperma laterale
''Lepidosperma laterale'', commonly known as the variable swordsedge, is a plant found in south-eastern Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand. It is often found on sandy soils or rocky areas in wooded areas.
The specific epithet ''laterale'' ...
''. They
mine the leaves of their host plant. Young larvae mine upwards, creating a straight and narrow initial stage of the mine. Later, the mine slowly widens and often turns downwards. The mine reaches a length of about 100 mm. Pupation takes place outside of the mine on a leaf of the host plant.
References
Moths described in 2011
floccella
Moths of Australia
{{Elachista-stub