Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Bucculatricidae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Bucculatrix | |
Similar Bucculatrix thoracella, Bucculatricidae, Acronicta | ||
Bucculatrix improvisa is a moth in the Bucculatricidae family. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Ohio.
The wingspan is 7-7.5 mm. The forewings are golden brown or ocherous, the scales mostly tipped with dark brown. The hindwings are fuscous. Adults have been recorded on wing in July. There are two generations per year.
The larvae feed on Tilia americana, Tilia neglecta and Tilia heterophylla. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of a fine thread, at first lying alongside the vein, then sharply diverging from it. Older larvae leave the mine and live freely on the leaf, which is eaten in patches, leaving the upper epidermis. Full-grown larvae are greenish red. Pupation takes place in a yellowish cocoon, which is spun on the underside of a leaf. The species overwinters in the pupal stage.