Ectoedemia argyropeza is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is a widespread species, with a Holarctic distribution.
Description The wingspan is 7 mm. The head is ochreous-yellow with a whitish collar. The antennal eyecaps are also whitish. The forewings are dark fuscous with a small costal spot before middle, and a larger dorsal spot before the tornus whitish; outer half of cilia whitish. The hindwings are grey. Keys and descriptionEmmet, 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.lepiforum.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, 1987
Taxonomy The name history is complex.van Nieukerken, E. J. (1985): A taxonomic revision of the Western Palaearctic species of the subgenera Zimmermannia Hering and Ectoedemia Busck s. str. (Lepidoptera, Nepticulidae), with nothes on their phylogeny. Tijdschrift voor entomologie 128: 1-164.pdf
Adults are on wing from May to June. It is a parthenogenetic species, with males being extremely rare.
The larvae feed on aspen (Populus tremula) and quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides (ssp. downesi)). They mine the leaves of their host plant.
Subspecies Ectoedemia argyropeza argyropeza Ectoedemia argyropeza downesi Wilkinson and Scoble, 1979 (North America)
Distribution It is found in most of Europe, as well as North America. In Russia, it is found in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kaluga, Tatarstan and Kaliningrad.Nepticulidae from the Volga and Ural region It is also known from north-eastern China.
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References
External links Ectoedemia argyropeza images at Consortium for the Barcode of Life Swedish moths