Leaf-miner: Oviposition on a young shoot. The larva penetrates a leaf, empties
it, leaves it, often by making another hole in the epidermis, and
starts a new mine. Older larvae bore in a twig. Pupation external.
Mines twigs rurn brown and are dropped (Bladmineerders van Europa).
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 of aurulentella has body green; head, prothoracic and anal plate black; feet greenish brown (Bladmineerders van Europa).
Pupa: The pupae of moths have visible head appendages, wings and legs which lie in sheaths (see examples).
See Patočka and Turčáni (2005a) (Bladmineerders van Europa).
Adult:
The adult is illustrated in UKMoths
and the Encyclopedia
of Life. The species is included in mothdissection.co.uk.
Comments:
X Cupressocyparis
leylandii is treated as X
Cuprocyparis leylandii (Leyland Cypress) by Stace (2010).
Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:
Hosts
elsewhere:
Time
of year - larvae:
Mid June - end March (Bladmineerders van Europa).
Time
of year - adults: May and June (UKMoths).
Distribution
in Great Britain and Ireland: This tiny (6-8 mm wingspan),
but quite distinctive moth was not discovered in Britain until 1982,
when one was caught in London. More recently there have been several
more records and it is thought that these are being imported with
garden conifers, probably juniper and Leyland cypress etc. (UKMoths);
Cumberland, Denbighshire, East Norfolk, East Suffolk,
Glamorgan, Kincardinshire, Leicestershire, Middlesex, Roxburgh,
Shropshire, South Aberdeenshire, South Northumberland, South-west Yorkshire, Stafford,
West Gloucestershire, West Lancashire, West Norfolk, West Suffolk, Westmorland and Worcestershire (NBN
Atlas).
Distribution
elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria,
Belgium, Czech Republic, Danish mainland, French mainland, Italian
mainland, Poland, Spanish mainland, Sweden, Switzerland and The
Netherlands (Fauna Europaea).
NBN Atlas links to known host species:
British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: Currently unknown.
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