Elachista albicapitella Engel 1907

Elachista albicapitella Engel (Figs. 7, 21, 38, 86, 86a, 124, 124a.)
1907. Elachista albicapitella Engel, Ent. News, xviii, 277. Type S , Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania [U. S. N. M.]. 1920. Elachista albicapitella Braun, Ohio Journ. Sci., xx, 170. 1923. Aphelosetia albicapitella Forbes, Mem. 68, Cornell Univ. Agric. Exp.
Sta., p. 222.
Head silvery white ; palpi silvery, second segment gray outwardly and beneath ; antennae dark blackish brown, paler and gray toward tips, especially in female. Collar, thorax and fore wing deep dark brown with faint purplish reflections ; tegulae, tip of mesothorax and base of fore wing from base of costa across to dorsum silvery white. Just beyond one-third the wing length, a slightly outwardly curved silvery white fascia from costa to dorsum; just beyond twothirds, an outwardly oblique silvery spot to the middle of the wing, broadest in the female; nearer base, a similar but less oblique dorsal spot. Cilia dark gray, paler opposite apex in the female; a row of dark scales around apex at base of cilia. Hind wings and cilia dark brownish fuscous. Legs dark brown, 'with spurs, a band near base of hind tibiae, and tips of tibiae and tarsal segments whitish. Abdomen dark brown above, paler beneath posteriorly.
Alar expanse : 8 to 9 mm.
Male genitalia (figs. 86, 86a) : lobes of uncus very widely separated; gnathos rounded ; harpes exceeding the uncus, sacculus processes rather slender ; anellus lobes truncate ; vinculum elongate, anteriorly produced ; aedeagus slender, vesica armed with a single sharp spine and two unequal blunt spines.
Female genitalia (figs. 124, 124a) : dilated portion of ductus bursae before ostium a truncated cone, this preceded by a weakly sclerotized band, which is in turn preceded by a short more strongly sclerotized section ; ductus bursae widening in segment 7, and at inception of ductus seminalis bearing three blunt teeth; bursa copulatrix bilobed, densely spiculate, signum a broad dentate sclerotized band.
Specimens examined: 40, $, 2.
Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh, S type, VI. 1.06 (Henry Engel), [U. S. N. M.] : New Brighton (Merrick), Oak Station, Allegheny Co., June 4, 1908 (F. Marloft"), 9 specimens [U. S. N. M.] ; Oak Station, Allegheny Co., 2 $, June 17, June 23, 1909 [A. F. B. Coll.] ; Hazelton, 1 specimen, 6-30-99 (W. G. Dietz), Ohio: Cincinnati, 6 S , 5 2, under rearing record B.1001, with dates of emergence from May 3 to May 6, 1919 [A. F. B. Coll. and A. N. S. P.] ; 3 2, under rearing record B.2093, with dates of emergence February 8, 12 and 21, 1944 [A. F. B. Coll.]; 6 6 . 5 9 , flying, May 20 to June 12 [A. !•". B. Coll.]; Clermont County, 1 2. June 6, 191<J [A. F. B. Coll.].
Nova Scotia: Bacldeck, 1 5. 22-YI-1936 (J. McDunnough), [C. X. Coll. J.
The larvae mine the overwintering leaves near the hases of the stems of tufts of Poa sylvestris A. Gray. In a mild autumn, they may be found nearly full-fed at the end of November ; such larvae under rearing conditions pupate in December and produce imagoes in February. More generally however, they are not full grown until the latter half of March. The dates of emergence vary greatly, depending on the season.
The larva makes several mines, with the parenchyma in the early mine partially consumed; it may mine down into the leaf sheath, from which it enters another leaf. In later mines the leaf blade becomes rather inflated and the parenchyma nearly all consumed. The larva is pale yellowish, prothoracic shield marked with two posteriorly broadening and darkening dorsal stripes, ending in confluent or nearly confluent blackish spots. The pupa (fig. 38) lies beneath a slight cocoon of transversely placed threads; cuticle shining, with prominent rounded tubercles on the mesothorax, and sculptured dorso-lateral ridges, but mid-dorsal area smooth.
This species is characterized by the silvery white head, silvery white wing markings, with white basal patch and complete fascia.

Elachista albicapitella is a moth of the family Elachistidae. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Nova Scotia.

The wingspan is 8–9 mm. The forewings are silvery white from the base of the costa across to the dorsum. There is a curved silvery-white fascia just beyond one-third of the wing length, as well as a silvery spot just beyond two-thirds. The hindwings are dark brownish fuscous. Adults have been recorded on wing in February and from May to July.

The larvae feed on Poa sylvestris. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts near the base of the stem of tufts of their host plant. A single larva makes several mines. It may mine down into the leaf sheath, from which it enters another leaf. In later mines the leaf blade becomes rather inflated and the parenchyma nearly all consumed. Mining larvae can be found in early spring. The larvae are pale yellowish.