''Stenoptilia zophodactylus'', also known as the dowdy plume, is a species of
moth
Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...
of the family
Pterophoridae found worldwide. It was
first described by
Philogène Auguste Joseph Duponchel in 1840.
Description
The
wingspan
The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan of ...
is 16–23 mm and the moth can be found from July to September in two or more overlapping broods.
Larvae can be found from March to September, initially in an
irregular, full depth blotch which may occupy the entire leaf. The frass is in numerous, dispersed brown grains. Some larvae leave the mine during an early
instar
An instar (, from the Latin '' īnstar'', "form", "likeness") is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each moult (''ecdysis''), until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or ass ...
and feed externally on flower buds and developing fruits while others remain in the mine until shortly before pupation. The larvae feed on common centaury (''
Centaurium erythraea
''Centaurium erythraea'' is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common names common centaury and European centaury.
Description
This is an erect biennial herb which reaches half a meter in height. It grows from a sma ...
''), ''
Centaurium venusta'' and ''
Centaurium littoralis'', yellow-wort (''
Blackstonia perfoliata
''Blackstonia perfoliata'' or yellow-wort is a species of flowering plant in the family Gentianaceae found around the Mediterranean Basin, but extending into northwestern Europe.
Description
Yellow-wort grows tall, with stiff, branching stems. ...
''), great yellow gentian (''
Gentiana lutea''), German gentian (''
Gentianella germanica''), ''
Gentianella diemensis'', ''
Sopubia trifida'' and Ngai camphor (''
Blumea balsamifera'').
[
]
Distribution
It is found in Europe, North America (including Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
), South America (Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
and Paraguay
Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
), Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
and Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
.Notes on the tribes Platyptiliini and Exelastini from Iran (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae)
References
External links
*
zophodactylus
Cosmopolitan moths
Leaf miners
Moths described in 1840
Taxa named by Philogène Auguste Joseph Duponchel
{{Pterophoridae-stub