Leaf-miner: The highly distinctive, violet or purplish spiral mines of this
species are often the key to its discovery. They can be found on
leaves, often several to a leaf. After the initial leaf-mining phase,
the larva feeds externally on the underside of the leaves, creating
small feeding windows, before pupating in a ribbed cocoon typical
of the Bucculatriginae (UKMoths).
A
narrow corridor, densely wound, amost entirely filled with purplish
brown frass. The last 1 to 2 cm of the corridor are free from the
spiral, and almost straight. At this point the mine is left and
the larvae continue to live free on the leaf, causing window feeding.
The empty larval chamber, obviously free from frass, is conspicuousy
slender. The egg, in the very centre of the spiral, is at the leaf
lower side, as is the exit from the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa).
The
leaf-mine is also illustrated in British
leafminers.
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 British
leafminers.
Pupa: The pupae of moths have visible head appendages, wings and legs which lie in sheaths (see examples).
The cocoon is illustrated in British
leafminers.
Adult:
The adult is illustrated in UKMoths. The species is included in mothdissection.co.uk.
Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:
Hosts
elsewhere:
Time
of year - larvae: August and September (UKMoths).
Time
of year - adults: June and July (UKMoths;
British
leafminers).
Distribution
in Great Britain and Ireland: Mainly in the southern half
of England, including Suffolk (Elveden Forest) (UKMoths),
Hampshire (Fleet) (British
leafminers); Cambridgeshire, Dorset, East Cornwall, East Gloucestershire, East Norfolk,
East Suffolk, Glamorgan, Hertfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Isle of Wight, Middlesex, North Hampshire, South Devon, West Norfolk, West Suffolk and Westmorland (NBN
Atlas), with occasional
scattered colonies further north (UKMoths).
See also British
leafminers distribution map.
Also
recorded in the Republic of Ireland (Fauna Europaea and National Biodiversity Data Centre Map).
Distribution
elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria,
Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Danish mainland, Estonia, Finland,
French mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Kaliningrad Region,
Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Norwegian mainland, Poland, Romania,
Russia - Central and Northwest, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, The
Netherlands, Ukraine and Yugoslavia (Fauna Europaea).
NBN Atlas links to known host species:
British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:
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