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

  

Coleophora atriplicis Meyrick, 1928
[Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae]

Saltmarsh Case-bearer

Coleophora atriplicis Meyrick, 1928. Handbk. Brit. Lep.: 763.

Seed-feeder and case-bearer: The larva feeds internally at first on seeds and then makes a distinctive 'dirty-looking' case, which is coated with dark granules (British leafminers).

Case of Coleophora atriplicis Image: © Rob Edmunds British leafminers)
Case of Coleophora atriplicis
Image: © Rob Edmunds British leafminers)

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. The species is included in mothdissection.co.uk.

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Chenopodiaceae        
Atriplex littoralis Grass-leaved Orache British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers
Atriplex portulacoides Sea Purslane British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. British leafminers (as Halimione)
Atriplex portulacoides Sea Purslane British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Salicornia       British leafminers
Suaeda       British leafminers

Hosts elsewhere:

Chenopodiaceae        
Atriplex littoralis Grass-leaved Orache British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Belgian Lepidoptera
Atriplex littoralis Grass-leaved Orache British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Atriplex portulacoides Sea Purslane British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Belgian Lepidoptera
Atriplex portulacoides Sea Purslane British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa (as Halimione)
Halimione       Belgian Lepidoptera
Salicornia       Belgian Lepidoptera
Salicornia       Bladmineerders van Europa
Suaeda       Bladmineerders van Europa
Suaeda maritima     Belgian Lepidoptera

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

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Britain including Anglesey, Caernarvonshire, Carmarthenshire, Denbighshire, Dorset, East cornwall, East Norfolk, East Suffolk, Flintshire, Glamorgan, Isle of Wight, North Essex, North Somerset, South-east Yorkshire, West Cornwall, West Lancashire and West Norfolk (NBN Atlas). The known host plant species are usually found on or near the coast.

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

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Belgium, Danish mainland, Estonia, Finland, French mainland, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Norwegian mainland, Poland, Romania, Russia - North, Sweden, The Netherlands and Ukraine (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Atriplex littoralis, Atriplex portulacoides

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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 Last updated 25-Jun-2019  Brian Pitkin Top of page