Argyresthia fundella

Argyresthia fundella
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Yponomeutidae
Genus: Argyresthia
Species: A. fundella
Binomial name
Argyresthia fundella
(Fischer von Röslerstamm, 1835)
Synonyms
  • Oecophora fundella Fischer von Röslerstamm, 1835

Argyresthia fundella is a moth of the Yponomeutidae family. It is found in most of Europe, except Ireland, Great Britain, the Iberian Peninsula, Finland, the Baltic region, Slovenia, Hungary and Greece.[1]

The wingspan is 9–10 mm.[2]

The larvae feed on Abies alba, Abies balsamea, Abies concolor, Abies grandis, Abies nordmanniana and Abies numidica. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine is usually only found in the distal half of the leaf. Initially, the larva feeds towards the tip. It then descends along the other side of the leaf. Most frass is deposited in the leaf tip. A round hole is made at the base of the mine, which the larva uses to leave the mine. This hole is closed with silk. A single larva creates mines in several leaves before overwintering inside the mine. Pupation takes place outside of the mine at the underside of a leaf.[3] The larvae have an dirty dark green body and a black head. They can be found from late summer to April.

References