Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Nepticulidae Scientific name Stigmella ruficapitella | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Stigmella Rank Species | |
 | ||
Similar Stigmella lemniscella, Stigmella incognitella, Stigmella alnetella, Stigmella betulicola, Stigmella microtheriella | ||
Stigmella ruficapitella is a moth of the Nepticulidae family. It is found in northern and central Europe. It is mostly absent in the Mediterranean region, with the exception of Mount Olympus in Greece and Trieste. It has recently been recorded from Russia and Bosnia.
The wingspan is 4.5–6 mm. Adults are on wing from May to June and from July to August. There are two generations per year.
The larvae feed on Quercus cerris, Quercus petraea, Quercus pubescens and Quercus robur. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine initially consists of a narrow corridor with a thin frass line, soon widening into a fairly long, broad corridor with a largely broad frass line. Mostly, the first part of the mine follows the leaf margin, entering the centre of the leaf after a sharp turn.