About Dialectica scalariella (Zeller, 1850)
Dialectica scalariella, commonly called the echium leaf miner, is a moth species belonging to the family Gracillariidae. This species naturally occurs across an area stretching from France to the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, and the Balkan Peninsula. A single adult individual, or imago, of this moth has recently been discovered in Great Britain. It was intentionally introduced into Australia as a biological control agent for the invasive weed Echium plantagineum, and after introduction it has spread from Australia to New Zealand. The larvae of Dialectica scalariella feed on a range of host plants: Anchusa strigosa, species in the Borago genus, Cynoglossum creticum, Echium aculeatum, Echium giganteum, Echium plantagineum, Echium vulgare, Myosotis latifolia, and Symphytum officinale. The larvae create mines inside the leaves of these host plants while feeding.
