Leaf-miner:
The
larva feeds internally on a leaf of False Brome, forming a blister-like
mine (UKMoths).
At
first a narrow ascending corridor. The direction reverses and the
mine develops into a broad, greenish, inconspicuous blotch, reminiscent
of a tentiform mine, 5-8 cm long. Pupation external (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).
Dull green, head and prothoracic shield light brown. Prothoracic
shield divided in two narrow elongate, distally enlarged, slerites
(Traugott-Olsen and Nielsen, 1977a; Bland, 1996a) (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:
End of April to beginning of June (Bladmineerders van Europa).
Time
of year - adults: The moths fly in June and July, and are found
in woods and woodland clearings rather than the typical grassland
habitat of many Elachistidae (UKMoths).
Distribution
in Great Britain and Ireland: Scattered distribution covering
much of the British Isles (UKMoths)
including Bedfordshire, Caernarvonshire, Cambridgeshire, Cardiganshire, Denbighshire,
Derbyshire, Dorset, Durham, East Cornwall, East Kent, East Ross, East Suffolk, Flintshire, Herefordshire, Huntingdonshire, Isle of Wight, Kincardineshire, Leicestershire, Montgomeryshire, Shropshire, South Aberdeenshire, South Devon, Stafford, West Cornwall, West Gloucestershire, West Kent, West Norfolk and West Suffolk (NBN
Atlas) and Ireland (Fauna Europaea). Generally commonest in the southern part of England
(UKMoths).
Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland (National Biodiversity Data Centre Map).
Distribution
elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria,
Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, French mainland, Germany,
Hungary, Italian mainland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Poland,
Romania, Slovakia, Spanish mainland, Sweden, Switzerland and The
Netherlands (Fauna Europaea).
NBN Atlas links to known host species:
British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: Currently unknown.
|