About Phyllonorycter basistrigella (Clemens, 1859)
Phyllonorycter basistrigella is a species of moth in the family Gracillariidae. This moth is recorded from Québec in Canada, and from Connecticut, Illinois, Oregon, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, California, and Missouri in the United States. The wingspan of this moth measures approximately 8 mm. The larvae of Phyllonorycter basistrigella feed on Quercus (oak) species, including Quercus alba, Quercus bicolor, Quercus castanea, Quercus coccinea, Quercus kelloggii, Quercus macrocarpa, Quercus prinoides, Quercus prinus, Quercus rubra, Quercus stellata, Quercus tinctoria, and Quercus velutina. Larvae create mines inside the leaves of their host plants. The leaf mine produced by this species is a tentiform mine located on the underside of the leaf. It forms between two leaf veins, is nearly rectangular in shape, and does not have wrinkles. When larvae are ready to pupate, they gather the frass that has been deposited along the edges of the mine and shape it into an oval ring-like wall for the cocoon. This process leaves the mine cuticle transparent, so the pupa can be seen clearly through it. Phyllonorycter basistrigella has also been observed on Castanea crenata, and the species was identified based on its characteristic frass ring.
