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

 

Phyllonorycter viminetorum (Stainton, 1854)
[Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae]

Osier Midget


Lithocolletis viminetorum Stainton, 1854. Ins. Brit. 3: 272.
Phyllonorycter viminetorum
(Stainton, 1854).


Leaf-miner: The leaf is curled over by the mine, which is underside and usually near the leaf base (British leafminers).

Lower-surface tentiform mine against the leaf margin, mostly not far from the petiole, often two in a leaf. The mine is contracted tube-like. Frass packed in a corner of 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).

Pupa: The pupae of moths have visible head appendages, wings and legs which lie in sheaths (see examples).

Pupa yellowish brown. No visible cocoon (coincides with the lining of the mine) (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Adult: The adult is illustrated in UKMoths. The species is included in mothdissection.co.uk.

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Salicaceae        
Salix spp.     British leafminers
Salix viminalis Osier British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers
Salix viminalis Osier British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant

Hosts elsewhere:

Salicaceae        
Salix viminalis Osier British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Belgian Lepidoptera
Salix viminalis Osier British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - larvae: June - July; September - October (British leafminers).

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Britain including Cambridgeshire, Cumberland, Denbighshire, Dorset, Durham, East Norfolk, Hertforshire, North Hampshire, South-west Yorkshire, West Norfolk and West Suffolk (NBN Atlas). Local and uncommon. Found in marshy areas in Osier beds. See also British leafminers distribution map.

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland (Fauna Europaea and National Biodiversity Data Centre Map).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, French mainland, Germany, Italian mainland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, The Netherlands and Ukraine (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Salix viminalis

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Chalcidoidea  
Chrysocharis laomedon (Walker, 1839) Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Chrysocharis nephereus (Walker, 1839) Eulophidae: Entedoninae
Sympiesis gordius (Walker, 1839) Eulophidae: Eulophinae


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 28-Jun-2019  Brian Pitkin Top of page