Stigmella tricentra facts for kids

Stigmella tricentra is a very tiny moth that belongs to a family called Nepticulidae. These moths are so small that they are sometimes called "micro-moths." You can find Stigmella tricentra flying around in New Zealand.

Discovering the Stigmella Tricentra Moth

This little moth has front wings, called forewings, that are only about 2.6 millimeters long. That's smaller than a grain of rice!

Where Does This Moth Live?

Stigmella tricentra lives in New Zealand. It is an important part of the insect life there.

The Moth's Life Cycle

Adult Stigmella tricentra moths have been seen flying in March and October. This suggests that there are probably two main groups, or "generations," of these moths born each year.

From Egg to Larva

The baby moths, called larvae, live inside the leaves of a plant called Helichrysum aggregatum. They are "leaf miners," which means they dig tunnels inside the leaf.

The tunnel they make is very twisty and coiled. It's so tightly wound that it often looks like a big blotch on the leaf. The larvae fill their tunnels with their waste, called frass. Even with the frass, you can still see the path they took.

Larvae have been found from April to September. They are small, about 3 to 4 millimeters long, and are pale yellow.

From Larva to Cocoon

When a larva is ready to change into an adult moth, it spins a cocoon. This cocoon is made of brown silk. What's interesting is that the cocoon is spun inside the leaf mine itself! Cocoons have been found in May, August, and September.