Overview

Cemiostominae (Leucopterinae) are tiny moths with an eye-cap, shining white fore wings, a metallic spot and specialised scales near the tornus, and spined abdominal terga. Typically, larvae of Leucoptera (Fig. 41.40b; 18 spp.) first make a linear mine in a leaf which then broadens into a blotch; when mature the larva leaves the mine and pupates in a white cocoon externally on a leaf or the stem of the host; the larval skin is deposited outside the cocoon (Deschka 1985). L . daricella , which occurs in Africa, Asia and northern Qld, mines in Plumbago . Other species mine in Alphitonia and Canthium . [Bradley and Carter 1982.]

Bedelliinae have a dense pecten, R 3 , R 4 , R 5 and M 1+2 on a common stalk from the pointed apex of the cell, grey fore wings sprinkled with darker scales, and pupae with a conical projection. Bedellia (25 spp.) is nearly cosmopolitan. It is a pest of sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas ; the larva first makes a short linear leaf-mine which it leaves to make a blotch mine; it pupates exposed outside the mine among a few silk strands on the underside of a leaf. Another Australian species feeds in a similar way on Parsonsia . [Kuroko 1972.]

Lyonetiinae are often recognised by their delicate fore wing pattern. They have an eye-cap, very narrow wings, extremely short abdominal terga and piercing ovipositor. The parenchyma-feeding larvae excavate blotch mines in leaves, sometimes with an initial linear mine. When mature the larva pupates in a flimsy elliptical cocoon suspended hammock-wise from silk strands stretched across a hollow, often near the edge of a leaf. Stegommata sulfuratella is white, with larvae producing blotch mines in young leaves of Banksia integrifolia ; S . leptomitella is a locally common leaf-miner on Hakea saligna .

Description

Very small; head smooth-scaled with scale tuft between antennae; ocelli and chaetosemata absent; antennae two-thirds of fore wing, scape with eye-cap; proboscis short; maxillary palps minute, 1-segmented; labial palps short, porrect or drooping; epiphysis present; spurs 0-2-4; hind tibiae with long piliform scales on upper surface; fore wing narrow lanceolate, without pterostigma, venation markedly reduced, all R to costa, CuP absent and sometimes 1A + 2A without basal fork; hind wing with 2 fine frenular bristles in female, with fringing scales several times width of wing, cell not closed and rarely more than 5 veins; abdomen with spined terga in Cemiostominae, coremata often present on 8 and T8 often modified; ovipositor piercing in Lyonetiinae. Larva leaf-mining, flattened, early instars usually without prolegs, late instars with crochets in uniordinal circle; prothorax with 3 L setae, L2 absent on abdominal segments 1-8 in some groups, when present L1 and L2 widely separate on abdominal segments. Pupa long and slender to short and broad, maxillary palps small or absent, abdomen without movement of any segments; pupation in cocoon or suspended on host by a few strands of silk.