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

 

Caloptilia hemidactylella (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)
[Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae]

Sycamore Slender


Tinea hemidactylella Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775. Mant. Ins. 2: 247.
Caloptilia hemidactylella
(Denis and Schiffermüller, 1775).



Leaf-miner:
The larva forms a cone and feeds within it (UKMoths). The larva makes a relatively long, lower surface gallery, that widens into a blotch of c. 6 mm long, where all leaf tissue is consumed, leaving only the venation. Later larval stages live free, living in three, successively larger, leaf rolls made of downfolded leaf segments (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).

The larva is illustrated in Bladmineeders van Europa.

Pupa: The pupae of moths have visible head appendages, wings and legs which lie in sheaths (see examples).

The pupa is illustrated in Bladmineeders van Europa.

Adult: The adult is illustrated in UKMoths by Matthias Biere. The species is included in mothdissection.co.uk.

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Aceraceae        
Acer campestre Field Maple British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Acer platanoides Norway Maple British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Acer pseudoplatanus Sycamore British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers
Acer pseudoplatanus Sycamore British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Acer pseudoplatanus Sycamore British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. UKMoths

Hosts elsewhere:

Aceraceae        
Acer campestre Field Maple British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Belgian Lepidoptera
Acer campestre Field Maple British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Acer pseudoplatanus Sycamore British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Belgian Lepidoptera

Time of year - larvae: July-August (British leafminers).

Time of year - adults: The adult flies from September and overwinters (UKMoths).

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: A very rare species in Britain, which has not been recorded reliably since the 1950's where it was noted in Gloucester. It is also believed to have been present in Northampton in the 19th century. A number of supposed records elsewhere are now believed to be misidentifications (UKMoths); Stafford and West Norfolk (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, French mainland, Germany, Hungary, Italian mainland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norwegian mainland, Poland, Portuguese mainland, Romania, Russia - Central and South, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Acer campestre, Acer platanoides, Acer platanoides, Acer pseudoplatanus

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available  
Pholetesor laetus (Marshall, 1885) Braconidae: Microgastrinae


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 11-Jul-2019  Brian Pitkin Top of page