Porphyrosela alternata

Porphyrosela alternata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Gracillariidae
Genus:	Porphyrosela
Species:	P. alternata
Binomial name
	Porphyrosela alternata; Kumata, 1993

Porphyrosela alternata is a moth of the family Gracillariidae. It is known from Japan (the island of Kyūshū), Malaysia (the states of Pahang and Selangor), Nepal and Taiwan.^[2] This species is a well-known pest of cotton.

The wingspan is 2.6-4.3 mm.

The larvae feed on Desmodium species, including , and . They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of an irregular linear-blotch-mine occurring upon the upper side of the leaflet; it is usually started as a linear, flat type, then suddenly widened into a blotch, nearly occupying the whole surface of a small leaflet. The mining part is whitish-green with an irregular brownish line of frass at young stage, and discoloured into brownish at mature stage. When completed, the upper epidermis on the blotch-part is strongly contracted with silken threads to form an upward-folded leaflet. The larvae are often gregarious.

References[]

This article relating to moths in the subfamily Lithocolletinae is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

[1] A Contribution To The Knowledge Of The Malaysian Lithocolletin Ae (Gracillariidae, Lepidoptera), With A Revision Of Indian Cameraria Associated With Leguminosae

[2] Global Taxonomic Database of Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera)^{[permanent dead link]}

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