Stigmella platina

Stigmella platina is a species of moth in the family Nepticulidae.^[1] It was first described by Hans Donner and Christopher Wilkinson in 1989. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in both the North and South Islands at Arthur's Pass and Kapuni Valley in Egmont National Park. The larvae are leaf miners and the likely larval host plant is Brachyglottis elaeagnifolia. Adults are on the wing in January and February.

Stigmella platina
Male holotype
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nepticulidae
Genus:	Stigmella
Species:	S. platina
Binomial name
Stigmella platina Donner & Wilkinson, 1989

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Hans Donner and Christopher Wilkinson in 1989.^[2] The male holotype, collected at Arthur's Pass at 2700 ft [810 m] in January, is held at Te Papa.^[2]

Description

Donner and Wilkinson described this species as follows:

Head. Frontal tuft and scape brownish white; collar white; antenna dark grey, comprising 30 segments. Thorax silvery grey. Forewing about 3 mm long, silvery grey speckled with black, lustrous, reflecting platinum; fringe pale grey. Hindwing and fringe silvery grey. Abdomen pale brown.^[2]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.^[3][4] Other than it's type locality, this species has been observed at Kapuni Valley in Egmont National Park.^[2]

Behaviour

Adults are on the wing in January and February.^[2]

Host species

Likely larval host plant B. elaeagnifolia.

The likely larval host plant of this species is Brachyglottis elaeagnifolia, as adults have been swept from this plant.^[5] The larvae mine the leaves of their host plant.^[2]