Acrocercops laciniella (Meyrick, 1880)
Blackbutt Leafminer
 (previously known as Gracilaria laciniella)
GRACILLARIINAE,   GRACILLARIIDAE,   GRACILLARIOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley


leaf mine in Eucalyptus leaf
(Photo: courtesy of Farm Forestry New Zealand)

The Caterpillars of this species feed inside leaves, creating a mine or tunnel, and feed on :

  • various species of Gum Trees ( Eucalyptus, MYRTACEAE ).


    (Photo: copyright of Brett and Marie Smith, at Ellura Sanctuary, South Australia)

    The adult moth has a wingspan of about 1 cm.

    The species is found all along the eastern side of Australia, including

  • Queensland,
  • New South Wales,
  • Victoria,
  • Tasmania, and
  • South Australia.

    It has recently been found also in

  • New Zealand,
    and is becoming a pest on Eucalyptus plantations there.

    Further reading :

    Ian F.B. Common,
    Moths of Australia,
    Melbourne University Press, 1990, p. 199.

    Edward Meyrick,
    Descriptions of Australian Micro-lepidoptera III Tineina,
    Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales,
    Volume 5, Part 2 (1880), pp. 164-165.

    previous
    back
    caterpillar
    Australian
    Australian Butterflies
    butterflies
    Australian
    home
    Lepidoptera
    Australian
    Australian Moths
    moths
    next
    next
    caterpillar

    (updated 17 March 2004, 8 March 2023)