Phyllocnistis diaugella

Phyllocnistis diaugella Meyrick, 1880
Breynia Leafminer
PHYLLOCNISTINAE, GRACILLARIIDAE, GRACILLARIOIDEA

Don Herbison-Evans,
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

caterpillar in its leafy mine, magnified
(Photo: courtesy of Carol Deane, Dorrigo, New South Wales)

This Caterpillar is yellow, with a small black head, bulgy abdominal segments, and tapers towards the tail.

The caterpillar has been found mining the leaves of various members of the PHYLLANTHACEAE and EUPHOBIACEAE plant families, including :

Coffee Bush ( Breynia oblongifolia ), and

Sparrman's Bush ( Euphorbia sparrmanni ).

(Photo: courtesy of Carol Deane, Dorrigo, New South Wales)

The caterpillar leaves an empty wiggly path in the leaf between the top and bottom leaf surfaces, which can show as brown if empty, or black if left with excreta. The caterpillar grows to a length of about 0.3 cm.

white cocoon at end of the leaf mine, magnified
(Photo: courtesy of Carol Deane, Dorrigo, New South Wales)

It pupates in a cocoon at the end of its leafy mine.

(Photo: courtesy of Carol Deane, Dorrigo, New South Wales)

The adult moths have satin-cream forewings, each with two dark lines extending from the base ending at the first of three dark curved arcs, and with a gold spot near the middle and a black dot on the wing tip. The hindwings are white, and fringed by long hairs. The antennae are each as long as a forewing. The adults have a wingspan of about 0.5 cm.

The species has been found in Australia in

New South Wales.