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

  

Calybites phasianipennella (Hübner, 1813)
[Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae]

Little Slender

Tinea phasianipennella Hübner, 1813. Samml. Europ. Schmett.: fig. 321
Gracilaria quadruplella Zeller, 1839. Linn. ent. 2: 355.
Calybites phasianipennella (Hübner, 1813).

Leaf-miner: Initially a gallery is formed, this turning into a blotch, and later two successive conical leaf-rolls (UKMoths).

Initially a pale, later brown, usually lower-surface blotch. The blotch is preceded by an epidermal corridor, but that may be obliterated by the later blotch. Silk at the inside of the mine causes it to buckle up a bit and fold. The reddish brown frass is accumulated in a corner of the mine. The older larva leaves the mine and continues feeding inside an untidy cone, made by cutting off a strip of leaf tissue and stitching it in place with silk (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 Bladmineerders van Europa.

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

In the final leaf roll made by the larva (British leafminers).

Adult: The adult is illustrated in UKMoths and the Encyclopedia of Life. The species is included in mothdissection.co.uk.

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Polygonaceae      

 
Fallopia convolvulus Black-bindweed British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Emmet et al., 1985a
Fallopia convolvulus Black-bindweed British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant (as Polygonum)
Fallopia baldschuanica Russian-vine British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Persicaria hydropiper Water-pepper British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Emmet et al., 1985a
Persicaria maculosa Redshank British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant, as Polygonum persicaria
Persicaria maculosa Redshank British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Emmet et al., 1985a
Polygonum       UKMoths
Rumex       UKMoths
Rumex acetosa Common Sorrel British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Emmet et al., 1985a
Rumex acetosa Common Sorrel British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Rumex acetosella Sheep's Sorrel British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Emmet et al., 1985a
Rumex acetosella Sheep's Sorrel British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Rumex hydrolapathum Water Dock British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Emmet et al., 1985a
Rumex hydrolapathum Water Dock British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Rumex obtusifolius Broad-leaved Dock British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Emmet et al., 1985a
Rumex obtusifolius Broad-leaved Dock British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Primulaceae        
Lysimachia       UKMoths
Lysimachia vulgaris Yellow Loosestrife British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Emmet et al., 1985a
Lysimachia vulgaris Yellow Loosestrife British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant

Hosts elsewhere:

Polygonaceae        
Chenopodium       Hering, 1957
Chenopodium hybridum Maple-leaved Goosefoot British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Fallopia aubertii     Bladmineerders van Europa
Fallopia convolvulus Black-bindweed British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Lythrum       Hering, 1957
Lythrum salicaria     Bladmineerders van Europa
Oxyria digyna Mountain Sorrel British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Persicaria amphibia Amphibious Bistort British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Persicaria hydropiper Water-pepper British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Persicaria lapathifolia     Bladmineerders van Europa
Persicaria maculosa Redshank British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Polygonum hydropiper Water-pepper British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Belgian Lepidoptera
Polygonum persicaria     Belgian Lepidoptera
Rumex acetosa Common Sorrel British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Belgian Lepidoptera
Rumex acetosella Sheep's Sorrel British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Belgian Lepidoptera
Rumex acetosella Sheep's Sorrel British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Rumex aquaticus     Bladmineerders van Europa
Rumex hydrolapathum Water Dock British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Belgian Lepidoptera
Rumex hydrolapathum Water Dock British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Rumex obtusifolius Broad-leaved Dock British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Primulaceae        
Lysimachia vulgaris Yellow Loosestrife British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Belgian Lepidoptera
Lysimachia vulgaris Yellow Loosestrife British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa

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

Time of year - adults: Flies in September and overwinters as an adult, after which it can be found until April or May (UKMoths).

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Occurring locally in England, Scotland and parts of Ireland (UKMoths); Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Cumberland, Denbighshire, East Norfolk, East Suffolk, Glamorgan, Middlesex, North Essex, Shropshire, Stafford, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Cornwall, West Norfolk, West Suffolk, Westmorland and Worcestershire (NBN Atlas). See also British leafminers distribution map.

Also recorded from the Republic of Ireland. See also Ireland's National Biodiversity Data Centre Map).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Corsica, Czech Republic, Danish mainland, Estonia, Finland, French mainland, Germany, Greek mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Latvia, Lithuania, Republic of Moldova, Norwegian mainland, Poland, Portuguese mainland, Romania, Russia - Central, East and South, Sardinia, Sicily, Slovakia, Spanish mainland, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Yugoslavia (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Chenopodium hybridum, Fallopia aubertii, Fallopia baldschuanica, Fallopia convolvulus, Lysimachia vulgaris, Lythrum salicaria, Oxyria digyna, Persicaria amphibia, Persicaria hydropiper, Persicaria lapathifolia, Persicaria maculosa, Rumex acetosa, Rumex acetosella, Rumex aquaticus, Rumex hydrolapathum, Rumex obtusifolius

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Ichneumonoidea - Links to species no longer available  
Oncophanes minutus (Wesmael, 1838) Braconidae: Rhyssalinae
Diadegma crassum (Bridgman, 1889) Ichneumonidae: Campopleginae
Diadegma holopygum (Thomson, 1887) Ichneumonidae: Campopleginae
Encrateola laevigata (Ratzeburg, 1848) Ichneumonidae: Cryptinae
Theroscopus esenbeckii (Gravenhorst, 1815) Ichneumonidae: Cryptinae
Homotropus elegans (Gravenhorst, 1829) Ichneumonidae: Diplazontinae
Itoplectis alternans (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