About Stigmella slingerlandella (Kearfott, 1908) Wilkinson et al., 1979
Stigmella slingerlandella, commonly known as the plum leaf miner, is a moth species belonging to the family Nepticulidae. This species is found in North America, with confirmed records from Ontario, New York, Michigan, and Ohio, and it may range as far south as Florida. It was named to honor Mark Vernon Slingerland. The wingspan of adult moths ranges from 3.5 to 5 mm. The larvae of this moth feed on species of the Prunus genus, including Prunus nigra and Prunus serotina. Larvae feed by mining the inside of their host plant's leaves. Initially, the larva creates a narrow linear mine, then it widens this mine to form an irregular, roughly ovate blotch. It is common to find between three and twelve individual mines on a single host leaf. When the larva finishes growing, it exits the mine through a cut made in the upper surface of the leaf, drops to the ground, and builds a small, flattened brownish cocoon in soil cracks, beneath loose stones, or between the base of the host tree and the surrounding soil.
