Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Gracillariidae Scientific name Philodoria pipturiella | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Philodoria Rank Species | |
Philodoria pipturiella is a moth of the Gracillariidae family. It is endemic to the Hawaiian island of Oahu.
The larvae feed on Pipturus species. They mine the leaves of their host plant. Large leaves can contain up to a hundred mines. The cocoons are made on the under side of the leaf alongside a prominent vein. They are white and not very conspicuous.
References
Philodoria pipturiella Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA