Stigmella catharticella

Description

Stigmella catharticella is a moth of the Nepticulidae family. It is found in from Fennoscandia to the Pyrenees, Italy and Bulgaria, and from Ireland to Russia. The wingspan is 5–6 mm.The head is ferruginous-orange, collar whitish. Antennal eyecaps whitish. Posterior tarsi whitish, spotted with dark fuscous. Forewings are dark fuscous, faintly purple -tinged ; a roundish white tornal spot; outer half of cilia white. Hindwings grey. Adults are on wing from May to June and again from July to September. The larvae feed on Rhamnus catharticus. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a full depth corridor, beginning at an under-surface egg shell. The corridor makes several sharp turns, so much so that the loops almost touch. The last section of the corridor is significantly wider. Pupation takes place outside of the mine.