Acrocercops panacivermiforma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acrocercops panacivermiforma |
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Acrocercops panacivermiforma is a tiny moth that belongs to the family Gracillariidae. You can find this special moth in New Zealand.
Contents
About This Moth
This moth is quite small. Its wingspan is about 10 millimeters (which is less than half an inch). Interestingly, there are two slightly different forms of this moth. One form lives on the North Island of New Zealand, and another lives on the South Island.
What Are Leaf Miners?
The young moths, called larvae (or caterpillars), are known as leaf miners. This means they live inside plant leaves! They tunnel through the leaf tissue, creating paths or "mines."
How Larvae Mine Leaves
The larvae of Acrocercops panacivermiforma feed on the leaves of plants like Nothopanax simplex and Nothopanax sinclairii.
North Island Mine Pattern
The mine made by the North Island form looks like a long, wiggly tunnel. It's called "vermiform" because it looks like a worm's path. The tunnel loops back and forth very closely, but the lines never cross.
At first, the tunnel usually winds in a zig-zag pattern, going mostly along the length of the leaf. Then, it might change direction, sweeping across the leaf from one edge towards the middle vein. The middle vein often acts like a barrier.
As the larva moves higher up the leaf, the tunnel becomes less wiggly and more twisty. It might even cross the middle vein in the thinner parts of the leaf. This later part of the tunnel can be deeper inside the leaf.
You can only see these tunnels on the upper surface of the leaf. They are a lighter green color than the rest of the leaf. Inside the tunnel, you'll find fine, pale "frass" (which is larva poop).
Cocoon and Pupa
At the end of its tunnel, the larva builds a cocoon. It prepares a small, clear spot on the leaf's upper surface. This spot will be the exit for the pupa (the resting stage before becoming an adult moth).
South Island Mine Pattern
The mines made by the South Island form are a bit different. They start as a simple, wiggly tunnel, just like the North Island form. However, instead of just a twisty tunnel at the end, it expands into a much larger "blotch."
This blotch can cover a whole leaf, or a large part of one half of a bigger leaf. Like the other form, the entire mine is on the upper surface of the leaf and is pale green. The middle vein of the leaf acts as a barrier for the bottom two-thirds of the blotch. The blotch has an irregular, but rounded, shape. The frass inside is fine, black, and not very much. Older mines turn white and are easy to spot.
