Domain Eukarya Rank Species | ||
Elachista illectella is a moth of the Elachistidae family. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. The habitat consists of deciduous forests.
The wingspan is 6-8 mm. Adults are sexually dimorphic. The forewings of the males are fuscous, but the base of the paler scales is grayish white. Females have darker and more evenly dark brown or black forewings than males. The hindwings are fuscous and also darker in females. Adults have been recorded on wing nearly year round.
The larvae feed on Poa (including Poa pratensis), Agrostis, Hystrix, Elymus, Oryzopsis, Bromus and Phleum species. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts as a fine line, gradually increases in breadth. The larvae are greenish yellow. Mining larvae can be found almost year round. Pupation takes place beneath a dense white web of silk strands.