Acalyptris minimella

Acalyptris minimella
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nepticulidae
Genus: Acalyptris
Species: A. minimella
Binomial name
Acalyptris minimella
(Rebel, 1926)
Synonyms
  • Trifurcula minimella Rebel, 1926
  • Nepticula minimella
  • Niepeltia minimella
  • Weberina lentiscella Groschke, 1944
  • Niepeltia lentiscella

Acalyptris minimella is a moth of the Nepticulidae family. It is widespread and common in the western Mediterranean region, usually not far from the sea. It has been recorded from Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Croatia, Ibiza, Mallorca, Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily. It is also present in North Africa, where it has been recorded from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.

The wingspan is 4.1-5.8 mm. There are two or more generations per year.

The larvae feed on Pistacia lentiscus and Pistacia terebinthus. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of an extremely narrow gallery, filled with frass, running a rather straight course, often following the margin of the leaflet or the midrib. The thin part is more than half the total length of the mine. Later, the mine widenes gradually and becomes more contorted, often following a zigzag course. The exit hole is located on the leaf upperside.

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