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

 

Stigmella torminalis (Wood, 1890)
[Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae]

Hereford Pigmy


Nepticula torminalis Wood, 1890. Ent. mon. Mag. 26: 209.
Stigmella torminalis
(Wood, 1890).


Leaf-miner: Egg at the leaf underside. Initially a straight, narrow corridor, becoming wider and more contorted, in the end almost a botch. Frass linear throughout. Pupation outside the mine (Bladmineerders van Europa).

The mine has linear frass and is initially straight but then becomes contorted and widens almost into a blotch. There may be several mines in a leaf (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).

Pale yellow, head blackish (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 not illustrated in UKMoths (check for update). The species is included in mothdissection.co.uk.

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Rosaceae        
Sorbus torminalis Wild Service-tree British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant

Hosts elsewhere:

Rosaceae        
Sorbus torminalis Wild Service-tree British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - larvae: Currently unknown.

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Britain (Fauna Europaea). See also British leafminers distribution map.

Distribution elsewhere: Germany (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Sorbus torminalis

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available  
Allurus muricatus (Haliday, 1833) Braconidae: Euphorinae


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 12-Jul-2019  Brian Pitkin Top of page