Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Elachistidae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Elachista | |
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Similar Elachista serricornis, Elachista biatomella, Elachista albidella, Elachista utonella, Elachista gleichenella | ||
Elachista cinereopunctella is a moth of the Elachistidae family. It is found from Scandinavia and Russia to the Iberian Peninsula and Italy and from Ireland to Poland.
The wingspan is 7–9 millimetres (0.28–0.35 in)
The larvae feed on Carex digitata, Carex ericetorum, Carex flacca, Carex humilis, Carex ornithopoda, Carex pilosa, Deschampsia cespitosa, Melica and Sesleria caerulea. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine generally descends from the leaf tip and may occupy the space between the leaf margin and midrib, but may also occupy the entire width of the leaf. Most frass is deposited in the oldest part of the mine. Pupation takes place outside of the mine. Larvae can be found from late summer to the following spring. The species overwinters within the mine. They are yellowish white with a dark brown head.