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

 

Ectoedemia sericopeza (Zeller, 1839)
[Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae]

Norway-maple Pigmy


Lyonetia sericopeza Zeller, 1839. Isis: 215.
Ectoedemia sericopeza
(Zeller, 1839).


Samara-miner: In wing of samara, mines into the seed with a short gallery (British leafminers).

The egg of the first generation is deposited on the wing of a key. The larva makes a short, superficial corridor (sometimes only the egg is visible), leading towards the seed, that finally is eaten out. Infested samaras are prematurely shed, and should be sought on the ground. The larva of the second generation makes a short mine in the bark of a petiole, and from there penetrates a bud that is consumed from the inside out (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).

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.

Comments: Records of Ectoedemia sericopeza on Field Maple (Acer campestre) require confirmation.

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Aceraceae        
Acer campestre Field Maple British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. UKMoths
Acer platanoides Norway Maple British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. UKMoths
Acer platanoides Norway Maple British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers

Hosts elsewhere:

Aceraceae        
Acer campestre Field Maple British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Norwegian moths and butterflies
Acer platanoides Norway Maple British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Norwegian moths and butterflies
Acer platanoides Norway Maple British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - larvae: June, September - May (British leafminers).

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread in England including East Suffolk, Middlesex, North Somerset, Shropshire, West Gloucestershire, West Lancashire and West Suffolk (NBN Atlas).

See also British leafminers distribution map.

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Danish mainland, Estonia, Finland, French mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norwegian mainland, Poland, Romania, Russia - Central, and Northwest, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Ukraine (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Acer platanoides, Acer campestre

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Chalcidoidea  
Euderus albitarsis (Zetterstedt, 1838) Eulophidae: Entiinae
Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available  
Adelius erythronotus (Förster, 1851) Braconidae: Cheloninae
Adelius viator (Förster, 1851) Braconidae: Cheloninae
Gelis areator (Panzer, 1804) Ichneumonidae: Cryptinae


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

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Last updated 16-Oct-2019  Brian Pitkin Top of page