ERICA. Heaths and Heather. [Ericaceae]

Fourteen species and subspecies of Erica are recorded in Britain. These include Bell Heather (E. cinerea)

No Diptera miners are recorded on Erica in Britain.

No non-Diptera miners are recorded on Erica in Britain.

Three non-Diptera miners are recorded on Erica in Britain and elsewhere (see below).

A key to the European miners, based on characteristics of the mines, immature stages and where relevant the larval cases, recorded on Erica is provided in Bladmineerders van Europa. This includes Xenolechia aethiops, Coleophora juncicolella and Coleophora pyrrhulipennella.

Key for the identification of the mine of British non-Diptera recorded on
Erica

Note: The larvae of mining Coleoptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera may live in a corridor mine, a corridor-blotch mine, a blotch mine, a case, a rolled or folded leaf, a tentiform mine or sandwiched between two more or less circular leaf sections in later instars. Larva may pupate in a silk cocoon. The larva may have at least six legs (although they may be reduced or absent), a head capsule and chewing mouthparts with opposable mandibles (see video of a gracillarid larva feeding). Larvae of Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera usually also have abdominal legs (see examples). Frass, if present, never in two rows. Unless feeding externally from within a case the larva usually vacates the mine by chewing an exit hole. Pupa with visible head appendages, wings and legs which lie in sheaths (see examples).

1a > Leaf-miner and case-bearer: The fully developed 4 mm to 5 mm case is made of seven to ten mined heather leaves arranged in a neat herring-bone pattern. The cases closely resemble sprigs of heather and are best found by placing swept debris in a box, where the larvae will reveal themselves by climbing the sides (UKMoths). Very small (c. 4 mm) light brown lobe case with a mouth angle of about 40°. The case is composed of 8-10 small leaf fragments, placed in herringbone manner, giving the case the appearance of a small browned ling branchlet (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Recorded on Calluna and Erica in Britain and elsewhere. Most parts of Britain. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland. Widespread in continental Europe.

Coleophora juncicolella Stainton, 1851 [Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae]

1b > Leaf-miner and case-bearer: The larva forms a distinctive black case from silk, from which it feeds on the foliage or flowers of heather or bell heather. The larval case reaches around 9 mm in length when fully fed (UKMoths).

Case of Coleophora pyrrhulipennella Image: Martin Honey (British leafminers)

Recorded on Calluna and Erica in Britain and elsewhere. A fairly common species throughout much of mainland Britain. Also occurs sparsely in Ireland. Widespread in continental Europe.

Coleophora pyrrhulipennella Zeller, 1839 [Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae]

 

1c > Leaf-miner: Only the very youngest larvae make mines, and it is not well known how these look like: probably small full depth mines. The older larva make a tunnel of silk on a twig, mixed with frass and leaf fragments, and feeds from there on the leaves. (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Recorded on Erica cinerea in Britain and elsewhere. Widespread in Britain and continental Europe. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland.

Xenolechia aethiops (Humphreys and Westwood, 1845) [Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae]