Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Gracillariidae Scientific name Parectopa leucocyma | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Parectopa Rank Species | |
The kauri leafminer (Parectopa leucocyma) is a moth of the Gracillariidae family. It is known from New Zealand.
The larvae feed on Agathis australis. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts at the tip of the leaf and then heads for the general direction of the petiole, sometimes double-backing along the way. Near the petiole, the host plant forms a gall, creating a sheltered site for the larva to overwinter. After hibernation, the larva chews itself out of the gall and pupates on the leaf in a parchment-like cocoon.
References
Parectopa leucocyma Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA