Stigmella sorbi is a moth of the family Nepticulidae, described by Henry Tibbats Stainton in 1861. It is found in most of Europe, east to the eastern part of the Palearctic realm.
Description The wingspan is 6–7 mm. The thick erect hairs on the head vertex are ochreous-yellowish to fuscous. The collar is pale grey. The antennal eyecaps are whitish. The front wings are bronze-fuscous with a broad somewhat shining whitish fascia beyond middle; apical area beyond this is rather dark purplish-fuscous. Hindwings are light grey.Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, Londonlepiforum.de includes imagesZagulajev, A.K., 1987 Nepticulidae (Stigmellidae); in G.S. Medvedev (ed.): Keys to the insects of the europaean part of the USSR, Vol.IV: Lepidoptera, part 1 (english translation), Oxonian Press Pvt.Ltd., New Dehli, 1987Emmet, A. M., 1976. Nepticulidae. — In: J. Heath (ed.). The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland 1: 171—267, pls. 1—7, 11, 12. Microscopic examination of the genitalia is essential for correct determination.
Adults are on wing in May.
Ovum Laid on the underside of a leaflet, often close to the midrib.
Larva The larvae feed on Amelanchier, Himalayan cotoneaster (Cotoneaster simonsii), apple (Malus domestica), rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) and Swedish whitebeam (Sorbus intermedia), mining the leaves of their host plant.
Pupa In a brown cocoon spun on detritus.
Distribution Found across the Palearctic and most of Europe (except Iceland, Portugal, Belgium, and the western part of the Balkan Peninsula)
Etymology Stigmella sorbi was described by the English entomologist, Henry Tibbats Stainton in 1861 from a type specimen found in Scarborough, Yorkshire. The genus Stigmella – ″stigma″, refers to the conspicuous (or occasionally metallic) small dot or a brand fascia on the forewing of many of the Stigmella species, or possibly the small size of the moths. The species name sorbi – refers to rowan Sorbus aucuparia', one of the larval foodplants.
References
External links Swedish moths Stigmella sorbi images at Consortium for the Barcode of Life lepiforum.de