Acrocercops panacivagans facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acrocercops panacivagans |
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Acrocercops panacivagans is a tiny moth found in New Zealand. It belongs to a family of moths called Gracillariidae. These moths are known for their larvae (caterpillars) that live inside plant leaves.
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The Acrocercops panacivagans Moth
What it Looks Like
This small moth has a wingspan of about 8 millimeters. That's roughly the length of a pencil eraser!
Where it Lives
The Acrocercops panacivagans moth lives in New Zealand. It was first described in 1920.
Its Life as a Leaf Miner
The young caterpillars of this moth are called larvae. They feed on the leaves of a plant called Pseudopanax crassifolius. These larvae are special because they are "leaf miners." This means they live inside the leaf itself!
The larva creates a tunnel, or "mine," inside the leaf. This mine is usually a simple, straight path. It stays on the upper surface of the leaf. The mine often starts at an angle until it reaches the middle vein or edge of the leaf. Then, it follows the leaf's edge.
The mine can follow all the bumps and dips of the leaf's outline. The color of a fresh mine is light green. The edges of the mine are usually neat and white.
Inside the mine, you can see the larva's waste, called frass. In the early part of the mine, the frass looks like a thin brown line. As the mine gets wider, the frass becomes dark green or black. It often forms a solid line along one side of the tunnel.
