Stigmella obliquella

Description

Stigmella obliquella is a moth of the Nepticulidae family. It is found in all of Europe (except the Balkan Peninsula), east to eastern Asia, eastern Russia and China. The wingspan is 4.6–6 mm.The head is orange,, collar yellow-white. Antennal eyecaps yellow-white. Forewings are coarse, dark brown basal to the yellowish cross fascia, apex black. Hindwings grey. Adults are on wing from April to May and again in August. The larvae feed on Salix alba, Salix babylonica, Salix x chrysocoma, Salix fragilis, Salix pentandra, Salix triandra and Salix viminalis. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a somewhat widening corridor. Its course is variable, but generally it contains several long nearly straight segments. Pupation takes place outside of the mine.