Ectoedemia heckfordi van Nieukerken, A. Laštuvka & Z. Laštuvka 2010

Ectoedemia heckfordi is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is only known from Devon in Great Britain, having been discovered in 2004 at the National Trust's Hembury Woods by amateur naturalist Bob Heckford, for whom it is named.

The wingspan is 4.8–6.2 mm. Adults are on wing from April to May. There is one generation per year.

The bright green larvae feed on oaks, Quercus petraea and Quercus robur. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a short, highly contorted gallery, occupying a small space only, filled with black frass, later broken. The mine suddenly enlarges into an elongated blotch, with frass concentrated in two lines along the edges. The mines usually occur on saplings, seedlings or low growth and in shade.

In April 2010, Heckford presented the type specimen to the Natural History Museum in London.

Male genitalia

Male genitalia

Female genitalia

Female genitalia

Female terminal abdominal segment

Final instar larva on Quercus petraea

Leafmine

Ectoedemia heckfordi là một loài bướm đêm thuộc họ Nepticulidae. Nó là loài duy nhất được tìm thấy ở Devon in Đảo Anh, having been discovered năm 2004 at the National Trust's Hembury Woods by amateur naturalist Bob Heckford, for whom it is named.

Sải cánh dài 4.8-6.2 mm. Con trưởng thành bay từ tháng 4 đến tháng 5. Có một lứa một năm.

The bright green larvae feed on cây sồis, Quercus petraea và Quercus robur. Chúng ăn lá nơi chúng làm tổ. In tháng 4 năm 2010, Heckford presented the type specimen to the Natural History Museum in London.

Male genitalia

Male genitalia

Female genitalia

Female genitalia

Female terminal abdominal segment

Final instar larva on Quercus petraea

Leafmine

Description. Male (Figs 39, 40, 111). Forewing length 2.2–2.7 mm (2.5±0.2,5), wingspan 4.8–5.8 mm. Head: frontal tuft yellowish white to ochreous, collar ditto; scape yellowish white; antenna brown grey, with 43–47 (44.2±1.8,5) segments. Thorax and forewings dark fuscous to black with paler scale bases giving some irroration; a straight dull white, medial fascia, usually wider at dorsum than costa; cilia-line more or less distinct; cilia ochreous grey; underside brown-grey, a narrow line of dark fuscous scales under costal fold near wing base. Hindwing and cilia grey, distinct field of androconial scales on basal half, reaching up to the dorsal margin, dark brown along dorsum, white near hairpencil, hair pencil ochreous; underside grey. Abdomen brownish black, with yellowish anal tufts.
Female. Forewing length 2.2–2.6 mm (6), wingspan 4.9–6.2 mm. Antenna with 30–34 (5) segments. As in male, but hindwing without androconial scales.
Male genitalia (Figs 46, 51). Capsule length 250–265 μm. Vinculum distinctly concave anteriorly. Tegumen broadly rounded to almost truncate, without distinct processes or lobes caudally, with several long setae. Gnathos central element broadly triangular, lateral processes broad and rounded caudally. Valva length 185–210 μm, broad, inner margin with an indistinct basal bump, suddenly narrowed, not evenly curved; outer margin also slightly angled ca ¼ from tip, sublateral processes shorter than ½ transtilla length. Aedeagus 360–400 μm long, with distinct cathrema, with many very small cornuti in vesica, ventral pair of carinae simple, pointed.
Female genitalia (Figs 55, 59, 63). T8 with ca 14–17 setae on either side; T8 with rounded corners, and posteriorly straight. Papillae anales broadly rounded, with about 12–15 short setae each. Apophyses short and thick. Vestibulum with distinct vaginal sclerite and a “spiculate” pouch without spines. Corpus bursae ca. 560–600μm long, almost globular, covered with minute pectinations; signa almost similar, ca 330–370 μm long (n=2), approximately 1.9–2.1 as long as wide, ca 12 cells in width. Ductus spermathecae with about 5.5 sclerotized convolutions.

Distribution. England: Devon.