Leaf-miner:
The
larva creates a long narrow mine in the blade (UKMoths).
Mine
fairly translucent. It starts as a narrow corridor, running towards
the leaf tip, but this almost invariably is overrun be a later,
broad, descending corridor. The centre of the mine contains a vertical
tube made of loose silk, in which the larva can quickly move up
or down, and in which also most frass gets trapped. The sides of
the mine are smooth (contrary to E.
gangabella). Mines are difficult to find, because the leaves
are wilting when larvae are present (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).
Dark olive green (greyish black while hibernating). Head and prothoracic
plate black. Each thorax segment dorsally with a pair of roundish
or crescent shaped light spots (Steuer, 1973a) (Bladmineerders van Europa).
Pupa: The pupae of moths have visible head appendages, wings and legs which lie in sheaths (see examples).
See Patocka (1999a), Patocka and Turcani (2005a) (Bladmineerders van Europa).
Adult:
The adult is illustrated in UKMoths.
The species is included in mothdissection.co.uk.
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Adult of Elachista
subalbidella
Luffenham Heath Golf Course, Rutland, Leics
Image: © Andy Mackay (UKMoths) |
Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:
Hosts
elsewhere:
Time
of year - larvae:
Larvae in autumn; in October they are full grown, but they leave
their mine only just before pupation, in early spring (Bladmineerders van Europa).
Time
of year - adults: The adults tend to fly during June (UKMoths).
Distribution
in Great Britain and Ireland: Widely distributed on moors
and heaths over much of Britain (UKMoths)
including Caernarvonshire, Glamorgan, Merionethshire, Monmouthshire,
North Ebudes, Pembrokeshire, Shropshire, South Wiltshire, Stafford
and Westmorland (NBN
Atlas).
Also
recorded in the Republic of Ireland
and Northern Ireland (Fauna Europaea and National Biodiversity Data Centre Map).
Distribution
elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe incuding Austria,
Belgium, Czech Republic, Danish mainland, Estonia, Finland, Germany,
Greek mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norwegian
mainland, Poland, Romania, Russia Central, North and Northwest,
Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and The Netherlands (Fauna Europaea).
NBN Atlas links to known host species:
British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: Currently unknown.
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