Phyllonorycter melanosparta

Phyllonorycter melanosparta is a moth of the family Gracillariidae. It is known from South Africa, Zimbabwe[2] and western Kenya. The habitat consists of secondary woodland where forest flora intermixes with savannah plants.

Phyllonorycter melanosparta
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Infraorder:
Heteroneura
Family:
Gracillariidae
Genus:
Phyllonorycter
Species:
P. melanosparta
Binomial name
Phyllonorycter melanosparta
(Meyrick, 1912)[1]
Synonyms
  • Lithocolletis melanosparta Meyrick, 1912

The length of the forewings is 2.5–2.8 mm. The forewing ground colour is ferruginous-ochreous with blackish fuscous markings. The hindwings are pale grey with a silver shine and a long pale fuscous fringe. Adults are on wing from late December to late January and from late March to July.[3]

The larvae feed on Desmodium repandum, Flemingia grahamiana, Hylodesmum repandum, Rhynchosia caribaea and Vigna species. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of a moderate, oval, semi-transparent, tentiform mine on the upperside of the leaf.

References
  1. Afrotropical Gracillariidae
  2. Global Taxonomic Database of Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera)
  3. Systematics, revisionary taxonomy, and biodiversity of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae)


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