| Phyllonorycter rajella | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Gracillariidae |
| Genus: | Phyllonorycter |
| Species: | P. rajella |
| Binomial name | |
| Phyllonorycter rajella (Linnaeus, 1758)[1] |
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| Synonyms | |
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Phyllonorycter rajella is a moth of the Gracillariidae family. It is known from all of Europe, except the Iberian Peninsula and Greece.
The wingspan is 7-9 mm. There are two generations per year with adults on wing in May and again in August [2]
The larvae feed on Alnus cordata, Alnus glutinosa, Alnus incana, Alnus oregona and Alnus viridis. They mine the leaves of their host plant. They create a lower-surface tentiform mine, usually in the axle of a thick lateral vein. There is one strong lengthwise fold. Pupation takes place in a tough off-white cocoon that is attached to the floor and the roof of the mine. Most frass is incorporated in the sides of the cocoon.[3]