Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Infraorder Heteroneura Scientific name Caloptilia azaleella | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Family Gracillariidae Rank Species | |
 | ||
Similar Caloptilia, Caloptilia stigmatella, Caloptilia alchimiella, Caloptilia elongella, Caloptilia cuculipennella | ||
Caloptilia azaleella micro moth wheeling its antennae
The azalea leaf miner (Caloptilia azaleella) is a moth of the Gracillariidae family. It is endemic to Japan, but has been introduced worldwide, wherever there are Azaleas.
Contents
Distribution
Initially described in the Netherlands from plants imported from Japan, it is found throughout Europe and has also been introduced to New Zealand and eastern Australia. In the southern part of Britain it occurs in sheltered gardens including Buckingham Palace, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Royal Horticultural Society Gardens, Wisley. It has been widely reported in greenhouses. In the United States the species can be found from Florida to Texas, and as far north as Long Island, West Virginia, and the Ohio Valley. On the west coast it is found in California, Washington and British Columbia, Canada.
Description
The type locality is from Boskoop, Netherlands, and was described in 1913, from moths reared on Azalea indica, a cultivar of Rhododendron indicum, which was imported from Japan. The moths forewings are mainly dark-brown with a yellow band along the costal margin. The wingspan is 10–11 millimetres (0.39–0.43 in) and it flies from May to October depending on location and in Britain is double-brooded and sometimes there is a partial third brood.
Ecology
Caloptilia azaleella deposits its eggs on azalea (Rhododendron spp) plants, under leaves near the midrib. Thiese are the only hosts so far recorded. The larva initially forms a mine and later rolls the leaf downwards from the tip, forming a cone. When mature a pale-brown pupa is formed in a white, membranous silken cocoon spun beneath a leaf and the moths can mate a week later.
