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

 

Swammerdamia passerella (Zetterstedt, 1839)
[Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae]


Oecophora passerella Zetterstedt, 1839
Swammerdamia passerella
(Zetterstedt, 1839).


Leaf-spinner: The larva spins a light web on the surface of leaves of dwarf birch, feeding on the leaf surface (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).

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 by Duncan Williams. The species is included in mothdissection.co.uk.

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Betulaceae        
Betula nana Dwarf Birch British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Betula nana Dwarf Birch British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. UKMoths

Hosts elsewhere: Currently unknown.

Betulaceae        
Betula nana Dwarf Birch British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - larvae: Currently unknown.

Time of year - adults: Adults emerge in late May, coinciding with the leaf-flush of Betula nana. They can be seen flying low over the plant in the early evening (UKMoths).

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: A rare species, restricted in the British Isles to high altitude in the Scottish Highlands (UKMoths).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Estonia, Finland, Norwegian mainland, Poland, Russia - North and Northwest and Sweden (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Betula nana

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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