Stigmella gossypii

Description

Stigmella gossypii is a moth of the Nepticulidae family. It is found in Puerto Rico and Florida. The wingspan is 3–3.2 millimetres (0.12–0.13 in). Mines can be found in March and early April, with adults on wings 10 days later. There is probably one generation per year. The larvae feed on Gossypium barbadense. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine is slender, sinuous and located on the lower surface (but visible from the upper surface) of the leaf. In the first half of the mine, the frass is deposited in arcuate waves and is granular while in latter half it is a single, continuous line. There are several mines on a single leaf that cross and anastomose frequently.