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

 

Coptrotriche gaunacella (Duponchel, 1843)
[Lepidoptera: Tischeriidae]


Elachista gaunacella Duponchel, 1843. Hist. Nat. Lep. Fr. Suppl. 4: 319.
Emmetia gaunacella
(Duponchel, 1843)
Coptrotriche gaunacella (Duponchel, 1843).


Leaf-miner: Upper-surface blotch. The inner wall is lined with much silk, giving the mine a white colour. The silk also causes the mine to contract, pulling the leaf margins upwards; the mine can be almost completely hidden from view in this way. All frass is ejected from the mine. Pupation within 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).

Greenish white; head an prothoracic plate dark brown (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Coptrotriche gaunacella larva,  dorsal
Coptrotriche gaunacella larva, dorsal
Image: © Jean-Yves Baugnée (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        
Prunus cerasus Dwarf Cherry British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant (as Emmetia)
Prunus spinosa Blackthorn British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant (as Emmetia)

Hosts elsewhere:

Rosaceae        
Prunus cerasifera Cherry Plum British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Prunus cerasus Dwarf Cherry British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Prunus domestica Wild Plum British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Prunus domestica ssp. insititia Bullace  

Bladmineerders van Europa, as Prunus institia

Prunus persica Peach British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Prunus spinosa Blackthorn British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Belgian Lepidoptera
Prunus spinosa Blackthorn 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).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria, Corsica, Czech Republic, French mainland, Germany, Greek mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Prunus cerasifera, Prunus cerasus, Prunus domestica, Prunus domestica ssp. insititia, Prunus persica, Prunus spinosa

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: Currently unknown.



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, as Emmetia gaunacella
UKMoths

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Last updated 19-May-2019  Brian Pitkin Top of page