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

 

Aproaerema anthyllidella (Hübner, 1813)
[Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae]

Vetch Sober


Tinea anthyllidella Hübner, 1813. Samml. Europ. Schmett. 8: pl. 48 fig. 330
Gelechia psoralella Millière, 1865. Icon. descr. Lep. 2: 83, t. 61 figs 1-6
Aproaerema anthyllidella
(Hübner, 1813).


Leaf-miner: The first generation initially forms an unmistakable leaf-mine on Anthyllis vulneraria, but the second generation feeds on the flowers. Feeding signs on other plants vary in appearance. Larvae can move between sewn leaves, and more than one larva may be found together (UKMoths).

Larvae in a small full depth blotch, often with extensions. Frass concentrated in one corner of the mine. The mining activities may cause the leaf to roll inwards. Older larvae live free among spun leaves, but still they may make then full depth mines by feeding on the leaf tissue from a small opening (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).

Dark purple to greyish brown with a faint light dorsal line on the first three segments. Also the constrictions between these segments are whitish. Anal shield and thoracic feet black. Pronotum with a black marking. See Huertas Dionisio (2005a) for an extensive description of larva and pupa (Bladmineerders van Europa).

The larva is also illustrated in UKMoths.

Aproaerema anthyllidella larva,  dorsal
Aproaerema anthyllidella larva, dorsal
Image: © Steve Wullaert (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 illustrated in UKMoths. The species is included in mothdissection.co.uk.

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Fabaceae        
Anthyllis vulneraria Kidney Vetch British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Anthyllis vulneraria Kidney Vetch British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. UKMoths
Medicago sativa Lucerne British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Medicago sativa Lucerne British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. UKMoths
Onobrychis viciifolia Sainfoin British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Onobrychis viciifolia Sainfoin British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. UKMoths
Ononis       Pitkin & Plant
Ononis       UKMoths
Trifolium       Pitkin & Plant
Trifolium       UKMoths

Hosts elsewhere:

Fabaceae        
Anthyllis       Belgian Lepidoptera
Anthyllis vulneraria Kidney Vetch British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Chamaecytisus       Bladmineerders van Europa
Coronilla       Bladmineerders van Europa
Cytisus       Bladmineerders van Europa
Dorycnium rectum     Bladmineerders van Europa
Galega officinalis Goat's-rue British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Glycine max Soya-bean   Bladmineerders van Europa
Hymenocarpos circinnatus     Bladmineerders van Europa
Lathyrus pratensis Meadow Vetchling British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Lotus       Bladmineerders van Europa
Medicago sativa Lucerne British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Melilotus albus White Melilot British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Onobrychis       Belgian Lepidoptera
Onobrychis viciifolia Sainfoin British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al.

Bladmineerders van Europa

Ononis repens Common Restharrow British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Ononis rosifolia     Bladmineerders van Europa
Ononis spinosa Spiny Restharrow British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Ornithopus       Bladmineerders van Europa
Oxytropis pilosa     Bladmineerders van Europa
Phaseolus vulgaris     Bladmineerders van Europa
Psoralea bituminosa     Bladmineerders van Europa
Trifolium       Belgian Lepidoptera
Trifolium pratense Red Clover   Bladmineerders van Europa
Trifolium repens     Bladmineerders van Europa
Trigonella       Bladmineerders van Europa
Vicia cracca Tufted Vetch British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Vicia faba Broad Bean British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - larvae: Larvae are usually stated to occur in April-May and July-August, but it is uncertain how the species overwinters. Early instar larvae can be found on A. vulneraria in September (1.25 mm- 2.3mm, pers. obs. I.F. Smith) and in January (MBGBI 4-2), and A. vulneraria plants covered with netting in November with undetected early larvae or ova had 2.5 mm larvae the following March (pers. obs. I.F. Smith) (UKMoths).

Time of year - adults: There are two generations, May and June and again in August and September (UKMoths).

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: A reasonably common species throughout most of the British Isles including Lancashire (Greater Manchester, Chorlton) and Chester (UKMoths); Anglesey, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Caernarvonshire, Cambridgeshire, Carmarthenshire, Denbighshire, Dorset, East Cornwall, East Kent, East Norfolk, East Suffolk, Flintshire, Glamorgan, Hertfordshire, Isle of Wighht, Kirkudbrightshire, Leicestershire, Merionethshire, Middlesex, North Hampshire, North Somerset, North-east Yorkshire, Outer Hebrides, Pembrokeshire, South Devon, South Hamphsire, South Wiltshire, South-est Yorkshire, South-west Yorkshire, Stafford, Surrey, West Cornwall, West Gloucestershire, West Lancashire, West Norfolk, West Perthshire, West Suffolk, Westmorland and Wigtownshire (NBN Atlas), and the Channel Is. (Fauna Europaea).

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (Fauna Europaea and National Biodiversity Data Centre Map).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Albania, Austria, Balearic Is., Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Corsica, Crete, Croatia, Czech Republic, Danish mainland, Dodecanese Is., Estonia, Finland, French mainland, Germany, Greek mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Kaliningrad Region, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madeira, Malta, North Aegean Is., Norwegian mainland, Poland, Portuguese mainland, Romania, Russia - Central, East, North, Northwest and South, Sardinia, Sicily, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spanish mainland, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Ukraine and Yugoslavia (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Anthyllis vulneraria, Galega officinalis, Glycine max, Lathyrus pratensis, Medicago sativa, Melilotus albus, Onobrychis viciifolia, Ononis repens, Ononis spinosa, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens, Vicia cracca, Vicia faba

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available  
Agathis anglica Marshall, 1885 Braconidae: Agathidinae
Therophilus cingulipes (Nees, 1812) Braconidae: Agathidinae
Scambus calobatus (Gravenhorst, 1829) Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae


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 13-Jul-2019  Brian Pitkin Top of page