Kauri leafminer facts for kids

The Acrocercops leucocyma, also known as the kauri leafminer, is a small moth. It belongs to the family Gracillariidae. This special moth is found only in New Zealand. Its name, "kauri leafminer," comes from the fact that its young, called larvae, live inside the leaves of kauri trees.

How the Kauri Leafminer Got Its Name

This moth was first described in 1889 by a scientist named Edward Meyrick. He found a specimen of this moth in the Waitakere Range near Auckland, New Zealand. Meyrick first named it Gracilaria leucocyma.

Later, another scientist, George Hudson, wrote about this moth in his 1928 book, The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. He called it Parectopa laucocyma. For many years, the specimen Meyrick found was the only one known. But in 1954, the moth was found again by K. A. J. Wise. The original specimen is kept at the Natural History Museum, London.

What Does the Kauri Leafminer Look Like?

The kauri leafminer moth is quite small, usually about 9 millimeters long. Its head and mouthparts are white. The antennae are dark with white underneath. The body is light grey, and its legs are dark grey with white rings.

The front wings are long, very narrow, and pointed. They are mostly grey with bright white markings. There's a white streak along the inner edge of the wing. There are also eight short, wedge-shaped white streaks coming from the front edge of the wing. The tips of the wings have a small blackish dot, with a white dot just before it. The hindwings are a whitish-grey color.

Where Does the Kauri Leafminer Live?

This moth is endemic to New Zealand. This means it is found naturally only in New Zealand and nowhere else in the world.

Life Cycle of the Kauri Leafminer

Adult kauri leafminer moths can be seen flying around in December. The young moths, called larvae, have a very interesting way of living. They are "leaf miners," which means they live and feed inside the leaves of their host plant.

Habitat and Host Plants

The larvae of the kauri leafminer moth feed on the leaves of the Agathis australis tree, which is also known as the kauri tree.

• The larva starts by digging a tunnel, or "mine," inside the leaf.
• The mine usually begins at the tip of the leaf and moves towards the stem.
• Sometimes, the larva will even double back along its path inside the leaf.
• Near the stem of the leaf, the kauri tree forms a special bump called a gall.
• This gall provides a safe, sheltered spot for the larva to spend the winter months.
• After the winter, the larva chews its way out of the gall.
• It then creates a cocoon on the leaf, which looks like parchment paper. This is where it changes into a pupa before becoming an adult moth.