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

 

Elachista collitella (Duponchel, 1843)
[Lepidoptera: Elachistidae]

Pembroke Dwarf


Oecophora collitella Duponchel, 1843. Hist. nat. Lep. Fr. Suppl. 4 (1): 327, pl. 77 fig. 9
Elachista collitella
(Duponchel, 1843).


Leaf-miner: Narrow, flat gallery, descending from the tip of the leaf (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).

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:

Poaceae        
Festuca ovina Sheep's-fescue British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Koeleria macrantha Crested Hair-grass British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Poa pratensis Smooth Meadow-grass British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant

Hosts elsewhere:

Poaceae        
Festuca ovina Sheep's-fescue British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Belgian Lepidoptera
Festuca ovina Sheep's-fescue British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Festuca valesiaca     Bladmineerders van Europa
Koeleria cristata     Belgian Lepidoptera
Koeleria cristata     Bladmineerders van Europa
Poa pratensis Smooth Meadow-grass British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Belgian Lepidoptera
Poa pratensis Smooth Meadow-grass 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 including Dorset, Pembrokeshire and South Devon (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria, Czech Republic, European Turkey, French mainland, Germany, Hungary, Italian mainland, Romania, Sicily, Slovakia, Spanish mainland and Switzerland (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Festuca ovina, Koeleria macrantha, Poa pratensis

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
UKMoths

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Last updated 17-Oct-2019  Brian Pitkin Top of page