Phleophagan chestnut moth
The phleophagan chestnut moth (Ectoedemia phleophaga) was a species of moth in the family Nepticulidae. It was endemic to the United States, where it was known from Virginia.
| Phleophagan chestnut moth | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nepticulidae |
| Genus: | Ectoedemia |
| Species: | †E. phleophaga |
| Binomial name | |
| †Ectoedemia phleophaga Busck, 1914 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Description
The wingspan is 9–10 mm. Adults were on wing during September.
Breeding
The larvae live in the lower layer of the bark of chestnut just above and encroaching upon the cambium. The mine is slender and serpentine, often doubling upon itself and broadening out to twice or more in width in early spring, when the larva reaches maturity. Full-grown larvae leave the bark and fall to the ground where they makes a closely woven, reddish brown cocoon amongst the rubbish, often boring down a few inches in the loose surface soil to find a suitable moist place on the underside of an old leaf or twig. The cocoon is oval and flattened,
Ecology
It was regarded as an important factor in the spread of chestnut blight.
References
- World Conservation Monitoring Centre. 2018. Ectoedemia phleophaga (amended version of 1996 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T7029A134978374. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018.RLTS.T7029A134978374.en. Downloaded on 11 October 2021.
- "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
Sources
- Nepticulidae of North America
- World Conservation Monitoring Centre (2018). "Ectoedemia phleophaga". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T7029A134978374. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018.RLTS.T7029A134978374.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.