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

  

Epermenia aequidentellus (O. Hofmann, 1867)
[Lepidoptera: Epermeniidae]

Carrot Lance-wing

Chauliodus aequidentellus O. Hofmann, 1867. Stett. ent. Ztg. 38: 206.
Chauliodus daucellus Peyerimhoff, 1870. Pet. Nouv. Ent. 1: 57.
Epermenia aequidentellus (O. Hofmann, 1867).


Leaf-miner: Young larvae make small, full depth blotch mines, almost without frass. Older larva live externally on the plant under a light web (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Initially forms a small blotch mine and may later feed in a slight web. In coastal areas may continue mining throughout the larval stage (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).

Head black; pothoracic shield also, divided by a light line. Body translucent yellow-green with a darker dorsal line and black or brown spots. The black head distinguishes the larvae from those of E. chaerophyllella (see Hering, 1957a) (Bladmineerders van Europa). The larvae are also described by Sterling (2004).

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:

Apiaceae        
Daucus carota Carrot British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers
Daucus carota Carrot British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Pimpinella saxifraga Burnet-saxifrage British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers
Pimpinella saxifraga Burnet-saxifrage British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant

Hosts elsewhere:

Apiaceae        
Anthriscus caucalis Bur Chervil British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Athamanta cretensis     Bladmineerders van Europa
Daucus carota Carrot British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Meum athamanticum Spignel British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Pimpinella saxifraga Burnet-saxifrage British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Thapsia villosa     Bladmineerders van Europa
Torilis arvensis subsp. neglecta     Bladmineerders van Europa

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

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Britain including Dorset, East Cornwall, Glamorgan, Isle of Wight, Merionethshire, South Devon and West Cornwall (NBN Atlas).

Also recorded from the Republic of Ireland (National Biodiversity Data Centre Map).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Albania, Austria, Azores, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Corsica, Croatia, ? Czech Republic, Estonia, French mainland, Germany, Greek mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Macedonia, Madeira, Norwegian mainland, Portuguese mainland, Romania, Sardinia, Sicily, Spanish mainland, Switzerland and Yugoslavia (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Anthriscus caucalis, Daucus carota, Meum athamanticum, Pimpinella saxifraga

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available  
Dolichogenidea imperator (Wilkinson, 1939) Braconidae: Microgastrinae

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 11-Jul-2019  Brian Pitkin Top of page