Leaf-miner: The
mine formed is long, inflated and puckers the leaf surface. The
larva often swaps leaves (British
leafminers).
Oviposition
generally at the underside of the top half of the leaf. Between
September and the end of February a very narrow mine is made, not
longer than 3 cm, parallel to the midrib. The mine then suddenly
widens to almost the full width of the leaf. The frass is concentrated
in the transition area of the two mine types. In the broad part
folds develop. Larvae can make a new mine, obviously without the
initial part. Here the frass in concentrated around the entrance
hole. Pupation outside the mine (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).
Head pale honey coloured, mouth-parts a little darker; prothorcic
and anal plates and thoracic legs likewise; body greenish black
(Langmaid, 2007a) (Bladmineerders van Europa).
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: September - June (British
leafminers).
Time
of year - adults: Currently unknown.
Distribution
in Great Britain and Ireland: Occurs in South West England,
from Monmouth in Wales and the East of Scotland (British
leafminers) including Caernarvonshire, Denbighshire, Derbyshire, Dorset, East Cornwall, Easterness,
Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Kincardineshire, Leicestershire, Merionethshire, Monmouthshire,
North Aberdeenshire, North Devon, Northamptonshire, Pembrokeshire, South Aberdeenshire, South Hampshire, South Northumberland, Stafford, 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 (National Biodiversity Data Centre Map).
Distribution
elsewhere: Continental Europe including Romania (Fauna Europaea), Germany and The Netherlands (Bladmineerders van Europa).
NBN Atlas links to known host species:
British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:
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