Systoloneura geometropis
Systoloneura geometropis is a species of moth of the family Gracillariidae. It is known from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan (Honshu, Kyushu, Satunan and Shikoku).[1]
Systoloneura geometropis | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Gracillariidae |
Genus: | Systoloneura |
Species: | S. geometropis |
Binomial name | |
Systoloneura geometropis (Meyrick, 1936) | |
Synonyms | |
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The wingspan is 4.5–6.2 mm.[2]
The larvae feed on Gardenia augusta, Gardenia jasminoides and Gardenia radicans. There are four instars in larval period, the first two are of sap-feeding type with a flat head, and the last two are of tissue-feeding type with a round head and a cylindrical body as in Aristaea species. First instar larva mine the lower layer of spongy parenchymal tissues and makes a short linear mine along the vein. A short time after it broadens the mine into a blotch. In the second instar, it continues to make a blotch-mine, which finally occupies a more or less full area between two branching veins. In the third and fourth instars the larva, with tissue-feeding mouthparts, feeds on the remaining tissues within the blotch-mine. When fully grown, it leaves the mine through an exit hole to pupate. In this stage the mine is tentiformed, with a strong longitudinal wrinkle on the lower side. Pupation takes place inside a whitish, boat-shaped cocoon which is usually located on the lower surface of the leaf near the apex. At the spinning site the leaf is always folded downwardly.[3]
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