Leaf-miner: A contorted gallery leading to small blotch (British
leafminers). Ovipostion
at the leaf underside, usually near the midrib. Mine a contorted
gallery, often a secondary blotch. Leaf around the mine often turns
purple. Frass in a thick central line. Pupation external (Bladmineerders van Europa). The
mine is also illustrated in UKMoths.
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).
The larva is amber yellow, head brown (British
leafminers).
Yellow,
head light brown (Johansson et al., 1990a); Gustafsson and van
Nieukerken (1990a) give a detailed description (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: July, September - October (British
leafminers; UKMoths).
Time
of year - adults: Currently unknown.
Distribution
in Great Britain and Ireland: A relatively local species,
but hard to find and probably overlooked in many places due to its
upland bias. It has been found in England, Wales and Scotland, but
is scarce in the south-east (UKMoths)
including Banffshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Caernarvonshire,
Cheshire, Cumberland, Denbighshire, Derbyshire, East Perthshire, Kincardineshire,
Merionethshire, North Devon, Shropshire, South Aberdeenshire, Stafford,
West Ross and Worcestershire (NBN
Atlas) and Ireland (UKMoths).
See also British
leafminers distribution map.
Distribution
elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria,
Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Danish mainland, Estonia, Finland,
French mainland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norwegian mainland,
Poland, Russia - North, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands
and Ukraine (Fauna Europaea).
NBN Atlas links to known host species:
British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:
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