Leaf-miner: The
larvae mine the leaves creating a long, meandering gallery containing
narrow blackish frass. In later instars, the larva feeds externally
(UKMoths).
Young
larvae in a very long, hair thin, winding corridor. Usually the
corridor is (largely) upper-surface. Frass initially in a narrow
continuous central line; further on the frass line is often interrupted.
Older larvae live free and cause window feeding, usually at the
leaf underside (Bladmineerders van Europa).
The
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 UKMoths.
Pupa: The pupae of moths have visible head appendages, wings and legs which lie in sheaths (see examples).
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: January - April and July (British
leafminers).
Time
of year - adults: Two generations, flying in April and May and
again in August (UKMoths).
Distribution
in Great Britain and Ireland: Widely distributed over much
of the British Isles (UKMoths),
including Lancashire (Greater Manchester, St. Helens (British
leafminers) and Littleborough (UKMoths);
Bedfordshire, Caernarvonshire, Cambridgeshire, Cardiganshire, Denbighshire, Derbyshire,
Dorset, Durham, East Cornwall, East Norfolk, East Suffolk, Fife, Glamorgan, Hertfordshire, Kincardineshire,
Kirkudbrightshire, Leicestershire, Linlithgow, Merionethshire, Middlesex, North Hampshire, North Northumberland, North Somerset, Shropshire,
South Aberdeenshire, South-west Yorkshire, Stafford, Warwickshire, West Cornwall, West Gloucestershire, West Norfolk, West Suffolk and Worcestershire (NBN
Atlas).
See also British
leafminers distribution map.
Also
recorded in the Republic of Ireland and Northern 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, Germany, Hungary, Italian mainland, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Macedonia, Norwegian mainland, Poland, Romania, Russia
- Central, East and Northwest, Sardinia, ? Sicily, Slovakia, Spanish
mainland, 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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