Leek moth

Leek moth
220px
220px
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Acrolepiidae
Genus:	Acrolepiopsis
Species:	A. assectella
Binomial name
Acrolepiopsis assectella (Zeller, 1839)
Synonyms
Roeslerstammia assectella Zeller, 1839 Acrolepia assectella Digitivalva assectella Lita vigiliella Duponchel 1842 Acrolepia caucasica Zagulajev, 1980 Acrolepia obscurella Rocci, 1931

The leek moth or onion leaf miner (Acrolepiopsis assectella) is a species of moth of family Acrolepiidae, genus Acrolepiopsis, a pest of leek crops. The species is found in Europe and Siberia. It was also recorded from Hawaii, but this was a misidentification of Acrolepiopsis sapporensis.

The wingspan is about 12 mm.

The larvae feed on Allium cepa, Allium cepa var. aggregatum, Allium fistulosum, Allium montanum and Allium porrum. They mine the leaves or bulbs of their host plants. The leaf mine is very variable, ranging from a corridor to a blotch, with or without frass and in the tubular leaves or in the stem. In the case of onions and shallots, the larvae mine down into the bulb.

Pupation takes place in an open network cocoon, either on the food plant or close by.

Bibliography

• Carter, D. (1984). Pest Lepidoptera of Europe. Dr. W. Junk Publishers, Boston.
• Gaedike R. (1969). Contribution for the knowledge of the Acrolepiidae Fauna of the Balkan Peninsula
• J.-F. Landry, "Taxonomic review of the leek moth genus Acrolepiopsis (Lepidoptera: Acrolepiidae) in North America" in Canadian entomologist.

External links

• bladmineerders.nl