Antispila cornifoliella
Clemens, 1860
Antispila cornifoliella is a North in the , commonly known as shield-bearer moths. The is a leaf-miner on Cornus (dogwood) species, with creating distinctive mines in leaves during late summer and early autumn. It is to eastern and central North America, with records from the United States and Canada.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Antispila cornifoliella: /ænˈtɪspaɪlə kɔrnɪfoʊˈliɛlə/
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Identification
may be distinguished from other Antispila by characters; larval identification relies on the dark and shield contrasting with a predominantly body, combined with association with Cornus species and the timing of larval activity in September. Leaf mines are diagnostic for the : create tunnels in leaves and cut out oval shield-shaped sections at the mine terminus for .
Appearance
have a mostly dark body with purplish brown . have a dark brown and thoracic shield, with most of the remaining body .
Distribution
to North America. Documented from Alberta, Maryland, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quebec, and Vermont.
Seasonality
active in September. not explicitly documented in available sources.
Diet
feed on Cornus , mining leaves of the .
Host Associations
- Cornus - larval mine leaves
Life Cycle
Larval stage mines leaves of Cornus , typically in September. pupate within oval cut-out shield sections removed from the leaf mine. Specific details on number of and complete timing are not documented.
Behavior
are , creating tunnels in leaves. At the end of the mine, larvae bite out an oval section of leaf tissue in which they pupate. These cut-out shields are characteristic of the .
Similar Taxa
- Antispila petryiEuropean also feeding on Cornus; distinguished by , larval characters, and barcodes; has single with August–November, whereas A. cornifoliella larvae occur in September
- Antispila treitschkiellaEuropean feeding on Cornus mas (cornelian cherry); distinguished by , larval characters, and barcodes; has two with June–July and September–November
More Details
Taxonomic note
The European Antispila petryi and A. treitschkiella were synonymized under A. treitschkiella from the 1970s until 2018, when molecular and morphological studies reinstated them as separate species. A. cornifoliella is a distinct North species described in 1860 and not involved in this European taxonomic confusion.