Argyresthia cupressella [Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae] in Leaf and stem mines of British flies and other insects

The leaf and stem mines of British flies and other insects

(Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera)

by Brian Pitkin, Willem Ellis, Colin Plant and Rob Edmunds

Argyresthia cupressella Walsingham, 1890
[Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae]

Argyresthia cupressella Walsingham, 1890

Leaf-miner: During autumn the larva mines a mere 9-12 leaves - the damage is quite inconspicuous. Hibernation occurs within the mine, and during mild days feeding may continue. After hibernation the larva lives as a borer, and empties 4-6 shoots, over a length of 0.5 - 2.5 mm, just below the tip of the shoot. The damaged shoots wilt and die off (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Argyresthia cupressella
Mine of Argyrethia cupressella
Image: © Ben Smart

Larva: The larvae of moths have a head capsule and chewing mouthparts with opposable mandibles (see video of a gracillarid larva feeding), six thoracic legs and abdominal legs (see examples).

The larva is illustrated in Bladmineerders van Europa.

Pupa: Pupa in a white fusiform coccoon that often is spun among the twigs, rather than on the ground (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Adult: The adult is illustrated in UKMoths. The species is included in mothdissection.co.uk.

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Cupressaceae				British leafminers
Cupressocyparis	leylandii			pers. comm. Ben Smart

Hosts elsewhere:

Cupressaceae				Bladmineerders van Europa
Chamaecyparis				Bladmineerders van Europa
Cupressocyparis				Bladmineerders van Europa
Juniperus				Bladmineerders van Europa
Thuja				Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - larvae: Summer to Spring (British leafminers ).

Time of year - adults: June and July (UKMoths).

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread inclduing in East Norfolk, East Suffolk, Glamorgan, Leicester, Middlesex, Shropshire, South-east Yorkshire, Stafford, West Lancashire, West Norfolk and West Suffolk (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Native in the western coastal region of the United States, and emerged in Britain in 1997, where it now is spreading rapidly (Agassiz & Tuck, 1999a; Heckford, 2004a). The hostplants are also on the European mainland very popular as ornamental conifers, and the discovery of this Argyresthia here will be a mere matter of time (Bladmineerders van Europa).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Host species unknown

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: Currently unknown.


External links:	Search the internet:
Belgian Lepidoptera Biodiversity Heritage Library Bladmineerders van Europa British leafminers Encyclopedia of Life Fauna Europaea NBN Atlas NHM UK Checklist UKMoths	Find using Google Find using Google Scholar Find images using Google


	Last updated 25-Jun-2019 Brian Pitkin