Parornix torquillella
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Gracillariidae
Genus: Parornix
Species:
P. torquillella
Binomial name
Parornix torquillella
(Zeller, 1850)[1]
Synonyms
  • Ornix torquillella Zeller, 1850
  • Deltaornix torquillella

Parornix torquillella is a moth of the family Gracillariidae found in Europe. The larvae mine the leaves of Prunus species, such as blackthorn (Prunus spinosa). It was described by the German entomologist Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1850, from specimens found in Florence, Leghorn and Pisa.

Description

The wingspan is 9–13 mm.[2] The head is pale ochreous mixed with fuscous. Palpi white. Forewings are rather dark fuscous, purplish-tinged, towards dorsum and costa more blackish numerous costal streaks, a spot in disc posteriorly, and two or three dorsal spots white; a black apical dot, strongly white edged anteriorly; cilia with three entire dark fuscous lines. Hind wings are grey. The larva is pale yellow -green; dorsal line dark green or reddish; head pale yellow; segment 2 with four black spots.[3]

The larvae feed on dwarf cherry (Prunus cerasus), plums (Prunus domestica), Damson (Prunus insititia), beach plum (Prunus maritima) and blackthorn (Prunus spinosa). They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts as a lower-surface epidermal gallery that widens into a blotch. In the end, it becomes a small, only weakly inflated tentiform mine. The lower epidermis is whitish, unfolded, and rather transparent. The leaf tissue is eaten up to the upper epidermis. The frass is deposited in a corner of the mine. In the end, the larva leaves the mine and lives freely under a leaf tip or margin that has been folded downwards, or in a leaf that is rolled into a pod.[4]

Distribution

It is known from all of Europe, except Spain and parts of the Balkan Peninsula.

References

  1. ↑ Fauna Europaea
  2. ↑ microlepidoptera.nl Archived 2012-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London pdf Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Keys and description
  4. ↑ Ellis, W N. "Parornix torquillella (Zeller, 1850) blackthorn slender". Plant Parasites of Europe. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
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