Ectoedemia atrifrontella [Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae] in Leaf and stem mines of British flies and other insects

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

Ectoedemia atrifrontella (Stainton, 1851)
[Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae]

Ectoedemia atrifrontella (Stainton, 1851)

Bark-miner: Mines in the young green bark (British leafminers). The mine is illustrated in UKMoths and British leafminers.

Mines of Ectoedemia atrifrontella on Quercus
Image: Rob Edmunds (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).

Pupa: Details unknown.

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:

Fagaceae
Quercus				British leafminers

Hosts elsewhere: Currently unknown

Time of year - larvae: Can be found all year, with fully grown larvae late May and June (British leafminers).

Time of year - adults: End of July. It can also overwinter and be found again in April and May (UKMoths).

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: A local species occurring in south-east and southern England, though it is easily overlooked (UKMoths). Bedfordshire, Dorset, East Kent, East Suffolk, East Sussex, Isle of Wight, North Essex, Shropshire, South Essex, South Wiltshire, West Gloucestershire and Worcestershire (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria, Czech Republic, Danish mainland, Finland, French mainland, Germany, Greek mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norwegian mainland, Portuguese mainland, Romania, Russia - Central, Sicily, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spanish mainland, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlans, Ukaine Also recorded in the Near East (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Host species unknown.

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


External links:	Search the internet:
Belgian Lepidoptera Biodiversity Heritage Library British leafminers Bladmineerders van Europa Encyclopedia of Life Fauna Europaea NBN Atlas NHM UK Checklist UKMoths	Find using Google Find using Google Scholar Find images using Google


	Last updated 23-May-2019 Brian Pitkin