Seed-feeder
and case-bearer: The
larva feeds on ripening seeds and makes a case from the floret and
is fully fed by early August (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).
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: July-May (British
leafminers).
Time
of year - adults: The adults fly during the day as well as after
dark when they are attracted to light. June and July is the main
flight period (UKMoths).
Distribution
in Great Britain and Ireland: A widely distributed species
throughout Britain & Ireland, which is common in places. It frequents
grassy areas and waste ground (UKMoths)
including Anglesey, Bedfordshire, Caernarvonshire, Cambridgeshire, Cardiganshire, Denbighshire, Dorset, Durham, East Cornwall, East Norfolk, East Suffolk, Flintshire, Glamorgan,
Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Isle of Wight, Kincardineshire, Leicestershire, Linlithgow, Middlesex, North Essex,
North Hampshire, North Northumberland,
North Somerset, Pembrokeshire, Shropshire,
South Lancashire, South Somerset, South Northumberland, South Wiltshire, South-east Yorkshire, South-west Yorkshire, Stafford, Surrey,
West Cornwall, West Gloucestershire, West Norfolk,
West Suffolk, Westmorland, Worcestershire and Shetland (NBN
Atlas).
Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland (National Biodiversity Data Centre Map).
Distribution
elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Albania,
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech
Republic, Danish mainland, Estonia, Finland, French mainland, Germany,
Greek mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Latvia, Liechtenstein,
Lithuania, Macedonia, North Aegean Is., Norwegian mainland, Poland,
Portuguese mainland, Romania, Russia - South, Sardinia, Sicily,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spanish mainland, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands
and Yugoslavia. Also recorded in the East Palaearctic, Near East,
North Africa, Australian region, Nearctic region and Neotropical
region (Fauna Europaea).
NBN Atlas links to known host species:
British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:
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