Syringopais temperatella

Description

Syringopais temperatella, the cereal leaf miner or wheat leaf miner, is a moth of the Pterolonchidae family. It is found on Cyprus and in Greece and the Near East. The forewings are shining greenish-yellow and the hindwings are ash-grey. Adults are on wing from late spring to early summer. The larvae feed on Hordeum and Triticum species. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts at the leaf-tip, and may occupy the entire width of the blade. Most frass is deposited in the lower part of the mine. Young larvae enter the soil, make a cocoon and enter summer diapause. Mining larvae can be found in winter and early spring. The larvae are pale with a dark brown head. Pupation takes place in the soil.